Trade talks in two acts: Canada-U.S. poised to negotiate in stages [Video]

All signs point to Canada and the United States holding trade negotiations in two separate phases — with some now on immediate irritants, and the rest next year.

The process is still taking shape. But the two-step idea is emerging in comments following this week’s meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The first phase? A fast-track push to ease tensions over tariffs and stabilize trade ties, anchored in the broader Canada-U.S. security relationship.

This lets both sides sidestep the thornier formal review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which isn’t legally scheduled to start until next year.

Based on Trump’s own comments, it’s not even clear he’s wedded to preserving CUSMA as a three-country pact, let alone having assessed the technical feasibility of speeding up its negotiating timeline.

WATCH | Bilateral talks coming first, ambassador says:Three days after Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Washington to set the stage for trade negotiations, Canada’s Ambassador to the …