Jean Charest, former Quebec premier and current member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s advisory committee on U.S. trade relations. (Jean Charest via X)
April 22, 2026 4:30 PM, EDT
Key Takeaways:
The U.S. is demanding concessions from Canada before serious USMCA talks as July 1 review approaches, adviser says.U.S. cites dairy access and provincial alcohol bans, while Canada wants relief from U.S. steel aluminum and softwood lumber tariffs.Officials continue informal talks and prepare for formal negotiations that could span trade energy defense and critical minerals.
The Trump administration is demanding concessions from Canada before it will begin serious negotiations on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, says a member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s advisory committee on U.S. trade relations.
Bloomberg News spoke with committee member Jean Charest — also Quebec’s former premier — as the scheduled July 1 review date for the North American trade deal approaches.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. was first to report that the U.S. is seeking what amounts to an “entry fee” from Canada — in other words, further concessions — before engaging in formal talks on a revised deal.
In Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Congress on April 22 that “if we can get some changes in Canadian trade practices, it’s going to help me get over the political hump we face here in the U.S.”
The U.S. has long complained about market access for its dairy products in Canada as well as provincial bans on the sale of American alcoholic beverages imposed in response to U.S. tariffs. “There may have to be an enforcement action to deal with” the alcohol bans, Greer warned.
MORE: Canada Booze Boycott Draws Threat From US Trade Chief
Canada’s new chief trade negotiator with the U.S. said April 21 that Canada has already made “significant” concessions and is now looking for reciprocity from Washington.
The interview with Charest has been edited for length and clarity.
Bloomberg: Is the U.S. actually asking for what comes down to an “entry fee” to start negotiating?
Charest: Well, you can interpret it that way. In their messaging to us, they’re saying “well, do away with this” — the prime example is the story about alcohol in the liquor stores throughout Canada — and “then we’ll sit down.” But it’s a two-way street. If they want to engage at that level and in those conditions, they should also give us some movement on the special tariffs that they’ve put on steel, aluminum and softwood lumber. We’ve played in this movie before where it’s all take, no give, and we’re not inclined to engage at that in those conditions.
B: So the concession they’re seeking is essentially putting American booze back on shelves?
C: Yes. Well, they’re making the argument that we should move on that, which is, by the way, not easy to do. This is an issue that is of the competency of each provincial government and territorial government. Now, we want to work in a constructive way. We’re not looking for areas of disagreement. What we are looking for is real engagement and negotiations that would be beneficial to both sides.
B: So your understanding is that if Canada were to move on American booze, that would open a door on the US side.
C: No one can say that for sure, but we continue to talk, by the way. It’s not as if [Canada-U.S. Trade Minister] Dominic LeBlanc or [chief negotiator] Janice Charette cannot pick up the phone and talk directly to Jamieson Greer. They do that, and they should. At one point, we’ll sit down and have a conversation or have maybe a little more formal conversation, and we’re preparing for that moment.
B: Is it possible that Canada is also not in a particular rush to get back to the table as well?
C: We’re not trying to delay, and we’re not trying to rush. We’re just trying to do the right thing and to do it in an orderly fashion so that we are able to defend our interest. We expect the Americans to do the same. We’re not offended by the idea that the Americans would have positions.
B: If the U.S. is not seeking to exit USMCA, what would these concessions be a prelude to — what is there to negotiate right now?
C: There’s a broader perspective on the negotiations. It isn’t just about the USMCA. It’s not just about trade. Think for a moment on the defense industry, on critical minerals, on the Arctic. The list is pretty long of the number of things that we can and should be doing and working on together, and for which Canada can be very helpful to the U.S. The energy story is always one that is fraught with vulnerabilities, with unpredictability. That is very much the case today.
Canada’s the No. 1 supplier of energy to the U.S. We want to be helpful. If they want to rebuild, for example, their reserves or resupply, we want to be helpful. And that’s the spirit in which we approach these negotiations.
B: You said LeBlanc can pick up the phone and call Greer. What about the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who has been much more hostile to Canada?
C: I think the same is true for Lutnick also.
Maybe Greer is more the technician. He was No. 2 to the previous negotiation and negotiator. I guess the expectation is that Greer is going to be the one in the nitty gritty of it at the table, and Lutnick will be more hands off and at a higher level, which is fine. We are familiar with the style and the method, and the art of the deal. We’ve read the book, we’ve seen it up close, but we’re not going to be distracted by statements. At the end of the day, there is almost unanimity about preserving the USMCA and an understanding that our supply chains are deeply intertwined and that we have to make this work.