Jean Charest, former Quebec premier and current member of Prime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s advisory\u00a0committee\u00a0on U.S. trade relations. (Jean Charest via X)<\/p>\n
\n April 22, 2026 4:30 PM, EDT<\/p>\n
Key Takeaways:![\"Toggle](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/expand.png\" "\\"Toggle")
\nThe 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. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s advisory\u00a0committee\u00a0on U.S. trade relations.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg News spoke with committee member Jean Charest \u2014 also Quebec\u2019s former premier \u2014 as the scheduled July 1 review date for the North American trade deal approaches.\u00a0\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. was first to\u00a0report\u00a0that the U.S. is seeking what amounts to an \u201centry fee\u201d from Canada \u2014 in other words, further concessions \u2014 before engaging in formal talks on a revised deal.<\/p>\n
In Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Congress on April 22 that \u201cif we can get some changes in Canadian trade practices, it\u2019s going to help me get over the political hump we face here in the U.S.\u201d\u00a0\n \t\t<\/p>\n
The U.S. has long complained about market access for its dairy products in Canada as well as provincial\u00a0bans<\/a>\u00a0on the sale of American alcoholic beverages imposed in response to U.S. tariffs. \u201cThere may have to be an enforcement action to deal with\u201d the alcohol bans, Greer warned.<\/p>\n MORE: Canada Booze Boycott Draws Threat From US Trade Chief<\/a><\/p>\n Canada\u2019s new chief trade negotiator with the U.S. said April 21 that Canada has\u00a0already made\u00a0\u201csignificant\u201d concessions and is now looking for reciprocity from Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n The interview with Charest has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n Bloomberg: Is the U.S. actually asking for what comes down to an \u201centry fee\u201d to start negotiating?<\/p>\n Charest: Well, you can interpret it that way. In their messaging to us, they\u2019re saying \u201cwell, do away with this\u201d \u2014 the prime example is the story about alcohol in the liquor stores throughout Canada \u2014 and \u201cthen we\u2019ll sit down.\u201d But it\u2019s 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\u2019ve put on steel, aluminum<\/a> and softwood lumber<\/a>. We\u2019ve played in this movie before where it\u2019s all take, no give, and we\u2019re not inclined to engage at that in those conditions.<\/p>\n B: So the concession they\u2019re seeking is essentially putting American booze back on shelves?<\/p>\n C: Yes. Well, they\u2019re 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\u2019re not looking for areas of disagreement. What we are looking for is real engagement and negotiations that would be beneficial to both sides.<\/p>\n B: So your understanding is that if Canada were to move on American booze, that would open a door on the US side.<\/p>\n C: No one can say that for sure, but we continue to talk, by the way. It\u2019s 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\u2019ll sit down and have a conversation or have maybe a little more formal conversation, and we\u2019re preparing for that moment.<\/p>\n B: Is it possible that Canada is also not in a particular rush to get back to the table as well?<\/p>\n C: We\u2019re not trying to delay, and we\u2019re not trying to rush. We\u2019re 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\u2019re not offended by the idea that the Americans would have positions.<\/p>\n B: If the U.S. is not seeking to exit USMCA, what would these concessions be a prelude to \u2014 what is there to negotiate right now?\u00a0<\/p>\n C: There\u2019s a broader perspective on the negotiations. It isn\u2019t just about the USMCA. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s 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\u2019s the spirit in which we approach these negotiations.<\/p>\n