‘It’s concerning’ says Quebec premier as last minute tariff negotiations with U.S. continue
Posted August 19, 2026 1:14 pm.
Last Updated August 19, 2026 1:20 pm.
The day after the announcement of a 72-hour truce on the imposition of new 50 per cent U.S. tariffs, Premier Christine Fréchette stated that the situation remains a cause for concern and reiterated that there are “red lines” that Ottawa will not cross.
These include supply management as well as the protection of Quebec culture and the French language. Can Premier Christine Fréchette assure us that these red lines have not been crossed?
“We’re still in negotiations,” she simply replied upon her arrival at the National Assembly on Wednesday morning.
“We expect there to be a reduction in the tariffs that are already in place. We absolutely want to avoid the imposition of new tariffs, and we also want a revision of the agreement that governs all of our trade with the United States,” the premier added.
“It’s concerning what’s at risk, what’s on the line, because it could lead to very significant economic changes,” Fréchette said.
Finance Minister Eric Girard assured that aid programs for businesses were ready if needed.
“We’re always ready to help our businesses. We wouldn’t be doing our job, we wouldn’t be fulfilling our responsibilities, if we weren’t prepared to help in the event of difficult scenarios,” he said.
Christopher Skeete, minister of international relations, struck a more cautious tone.
“There are proposals that are put on the table at any moment and taken off at any moment, so we don’t know where the federal government will ultimately end up,” he said.
On Tuesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Canada had been postponed for three days.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump mentioned the Keystone XL pipeline while referring to a potential agreement between the United States and Canada.
The White House’s official proclamation regarding the suspension of tariffs states that “Canada has committed” to eliminating the “discriminatory measures” that, according to the United States, did not apply to other countries.
Among the “discriminatory measures” listed in the proclamation are provincial bans on the sale of U.S. alcoholic beverages. The document also cites the retaliatory quota imposed by Canada on duty-free imports of U.S. vehicles and the supply management system in the dairy sector.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
