White House tempers tough talk on Canada trade as inflation tops voter concerns

The Trump administration’s combative approach to Canada appears to be softening slightly, just days before midterm elections in the U.S. where tariff fueled inflation is a primary concern for voters.

Trade talks with Washington have seen a “slight intensification” in recent days, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday.

President Donald Trump, likewise, seemed to back off some of his angrier rhetoric over the weekend, when he told reporters a potential trade deal with Canada would be “settled pretty soon.”

“They’re willing to give us anything at this moment,” Trump added.

Carney, however, said the opposite. “To the extent any progress has been made, it’s because the U.S. is coming closer to our position,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

Ever since advanced trade talks collapsed in August, the Trump administration has slapped 50% tariffs on hundreds of categories of Canadian imports. Ottawa has responded in kind.

But the two leaders’ most recent statements came after the United States unilaterally announced that it would lift some tariffs on Canada late last week and replace them with others.

The move to alter tariffs came at the urging of Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is facing a tight re-election battle in Maine.

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Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business