The trade dispute between the US and Canada needs to be resolved at the highest level, directly between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent said he discussed the trade situation between the two countries with Canada's Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne at a meeting of finance ministers of the Group of 20 in Asheville, North Carolina, the US treasury secretary said at a G20 press conference on Tuesday, broadcast by Bloomberg.
The two discussed "how do we put the trade situation back together," said Bessent. "That's going to have to be done at the leaders' level."
U.S.-Canada trade negotiations broke down on Aug. 21 and tensions have continued to rise. The US imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, prompting Canada to announce similar-amount retaliatory tariffs that are scheduled to take effect next Tuesday.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Carney has suggested that talks could restart if the US demonstrates a greater commitment to serious negotiations.