Latest news with #Wyden
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
U.S. senator in Ottawa urges Carney to quickly repeal digital services tax
OTTAWA - A U.S. senator is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to move quickly on repealing the digital services tax. 'You all, to your credit, said you're not going to collect it. I asked that Canada move as quickly as possible to get a law passed in Parliament making sure that it's gone permanently,' Ron Wyden, a Democratic senator from Oregon, told media Monday following a meeting between Carney and a bipartisan delegation of four U.S. senators in Ottawa. 'The prime minister was receptive to that,' Wyden added. 'He said he would get on it in the fall.' Carney said in late June he would eliminate the tax — just before a hefty retroactive payment was due that would have cost big U.S. tech companies an estimated US$2 billion. The move came after U.S. President Donald Trump called a halt to bilateral trade talks over the tax, which would have imposed a three-per-cent levy on tech giants that generate revenue from Canadian users, such as Google, Amazon and Uber. While the Canada Revenue Agency is not asking for payments to be made through the tax, it has said it will not issue refunds to those who have already paid the tax until Parliament passes a law formally ending it. Google also has said it will wait until that law is passed before refunding customers who paid a surcharge it imposed last year in response to the tax. The House of Commons is currently on summer break and is set to return on Sept. 15. The senators — wearing Canada-U.S. friendship bracelets provided by the U.S. Embassy — were in Ottawa to discuss the ongoing trade conflict between the two countries. Wyden said the senators were there 'to talk about making sure that in the days ahead we build on a productive economy for Canada and the United States.' 'And we are bridge builders, not people who throw wrenches,' he added. Wyden said there was progress in the discussions Monday. 'I felt that this was very constructive … and we had concrete ideas where both sides are looking like they want to pursue constructive solutions,' he said. In addition to Wyden, the delegation included Democratic senators Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. In a joint statement released after Monday's meetings, Cortez Masto emphasized the 'special connection' Americans have with Canada, including the more than one million Canadian tourists who typically visit her state in a given year. Canadian travel south of the border has declined sharply since Trump took office earlier this year and started threatening to tariff Canada and annex the country to become the '51st state.' 'Despite the chaos of the Trump presidency, I will continue to fight to ensure American workers are treated fairly while strengthening our ties with Canada to bolster our tourism economy and promote American national security. We can do both,' Cortez Masto said. Wyden said he also brought up softwood lumber, a long-standing trade irritant between Canada and the United States. 'And I think we now have a clear idea of how to proceed, and that's to build around some sort of quota arrangement,' he said. Hassan told reporters the senators also spoke to Carney about 'the things we can do together to stop the flow of the precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl to our countries.' Carney, who did not stop to talk to reporters after the meeting, remarked that it was a 'very good' discussion. In a news release Monday afternoon, the Prime Minister's Office said Carney and the senators 'underscored the significance of the trading relationship between Canada and the U.S., including the important economic impact of Canadian businesses in the senators' home states.' The release said they talked about the steel industry, North American defence and security and 'Canada's successes in dismantling illegal drug smuggling and securing the border,' and that they 'expressed a shared commitment' to tackling the fentanyl crisis. In a letter to Carney on July 10, Trump threatened to impose 35-per-cent tariffs on Canadian goods by Aug. 1, setting a new deadline for trade talks that were supposed to wrap up by now. On Monday, the senators didn't answer when asked whether a deal is likely by Aug. 1. Carney told reporters last week that a trade deal with the U.S. will likely include some tariffs, and that he expects talks to 'intensify' ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline. Asked about the prospect of a tariff-free deal, Murkowski told reporters in Ottawa that is being 'left to the hands right now of those that are negotiating.' 'Everything that we know is that these negotiations have been very tightly, very closely held,' she said. 'We all want to get to August 1 and beyond with a resolve that works for Canada and works for the United States.' U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told an American television audience on Sunday that Canada will pay tariffs unless it opens its market to the United States. Members of Trump's administration have started to signal that there will not be an avalanche of trade deals ahead of the August deadline the president set in letters to national governments around the world. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told media outlet CNBC on Monday that 'talks are moving along but the important thing here is the quality of the deal and not the timings of the deals.' 'President Trump has created maximum leverage — as only he can do — and what we are seeing is these imbalances built up over 20, 30, 40 years and we are more concerned with high-quality deals then getting these deals done by Aug. 1,' he said. — With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
U.S. senators meet with Carney, push to ‘reinvigorate' CUSMA ahead of Trump deadline
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney heard from a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators on Monday that he should seek to 'reinvigorate' discussions about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement as he faces pressure to close a deal with the White House by Aug. 1. Article content U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a blanket tariff of 35 per cent starting next month on Canadian goods entering his country, barring him and Carney coming up with a new economic and security agreement before that date. Article content Article content Article content Carney met on Parliament Hill first thing in the morning with Democratic senators Rob Wyden from Oregon, Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, to discuss Canada's ongoing trade war with the U.S. Article content Article content Murkowski is one of the only Republican senators who has been openly critical of the Trump administration. Article content Speaking after the meeting, Wyden said the first step to bring stability to the Canada-U.S. economic relationship is to try to 'reinvigorate' CUSMA — known as USMCA on the U.S. side — and said the other visiting senators share his view. Article content 'This is something that we've had a considerable amount of success with since it was written during the (first) Trump administration, and we ought to strengthen it. We ought to build it, not get rid of it,' Wyden said. Article content Article content CUSMA is scheduled for review in 2026. Over the weekend, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he expects Trump will want to renegotiate the existing agreement next year. Article content Article content 'It makes perfect sense for the president to renegotiate it,' Lutnick told CBS News in an interview that aired on Sunday. 'He wants to protect American jobs. He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they could be built in Michigan and Ohio.' Article content Wyden did not specify what he meant exactly by reinvigorating the existing trade deal, or if it meant in his view an early review or renegotiation ahead of next year's deadline. Article content 'At the end of the day, you are our best friends, and the relationship is going through some great strain,' said Hassan, whose state, New Hampshire, has long been a tourist destination for Canadians. Article content 'But we do think that the framework of the USMCA gives us an opportunity to, kind of in one framework, come together and improve on something that was a great bipartisan success back in 2018,' she added.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
U.S. senators meet with Carney, push to ‘reinvigorate' CUSMA ahead of Trump deadline
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney heard from a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators on Monday that he should seek to 'reinvigorate' discussions about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement as he faces pressure to close a deal with the White House by Aug. 1. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a blanket tariff of 35 per cent starting next month on Canadian goods entering his country, barring him and Carney coming up with a new economic and security agreement before that date. Carney met on Parliament Hill first thing in the morning with Democratic senators Rob Wyden from Oregon, Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, to discuss Canada's ongoing trade war with the U.S. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Murkowski is one of the only Republican senators who has been openly critical of the Trump administration. Speaking after the meeting, Wyden said the first step to bring stability to the Canada-U.S. economic relationship is to try to 'reinvigorate' CUSMA — known as USMCA on the U.S. side — and said the other visiting senators share his view. 'This is something that we've had a considerable amount of success with since it was written during the (first) Trump administration, and we ought to strengthen it. We ought to build it, not get rid of it,' Wyden said. CUSMA is scheduled for review in 2026. Over the weekend, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he expects Trump will want to renegotiate the existing agreement next year. 'It makes perfect sense for the president to renegotiate it,' Lutnick told CBS News in an interview that aired on Sunday . 'He wants to protect American jobs. He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they could be built in Michigan and Ohio.' Wyden did not specify what he meant exactly by reinvigorating the existing trade deal, or if it meant in his view an early review or renegotiation ahead of next year's deadline. 'At the end of the day, you are our best friends, and the relationship is going through some great strain,' said Hassan, whose state, New Hampshire, has long been a tourist destination for Canadians. 'But we do think that the framework of the USMCA gives us an opportunity to, kind of in one framework, come together and improve on something that was a great bipartisan success back in 2018,' she added. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also took part in the meeting with the U.S. senators and detailed her vision of the upcoming CUSMA talks. Murkowski said the terminology Anand used in talking about CUSMA was 'very instructive.' According to her, the minister said she wishes to operate within the current framework and that their countries already 'have the frame… to make it work.' Carney has already lowered expectations about Canada being able to strike a tariff-free deal with the U.S. but reiterated most of Canada's exports would be spared. While he said the most affected sectors — steel, aluminum, autos and forestry — are now subject to high tariff rates when entering the U.S., he said the 'vast majority' of Canadian goods and services will continue to remain tariff-free as they are exempted under CUSMA. Lutnick echoed that message on Sunday, telling CBS News that 75 per cent of Canadian imports are exempt from tariffs under the existing agreement and that any additional tariffs would only apply to the remaining 25 per cent of Canadian goods. Despite that rhetoric, U.S. senators said they have been hearing from their constituents and businesses that many projects are on hold pending a deal between both countries. On top of using CUSMA talks as a negotiation item to restore trade relations more broadly, Wyden said Carney was 'receptive' to his suggestions of passing a law to permanently rescind the digital services tax, which Carney stopped from taking effect this month, and of potentially subjecting Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. to a quota . Hassan said they also spoke with Carney about stopping the flow of precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl to both countries. They also discussed lessons learned in the U.S. to stop the demand for the deadly drug and helping drug users end their addictions. After his meeting with the U.S. senators, Carney met in Ottawa with King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss defence and security issues in the Middle East, as well as trade opportunities between their two countries. On Tuesday, Carney will be joining Canada's premiers in Ontario's cottage country for a meeting of the Council of the Federation. National Post calevesque@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
U.S. senators meet with Carney, push to ‘reinvigorate' CUSMA ahead of Trump deadline
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney heard from a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators on Monday that he should seek to 'reinvigorate' discussions about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement as he faces pressure to close a deal with the White House by Aug. 1. Article content U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a blanket tariff of 35 per cent starting next month on Canadian goods entering his country, barring him and Carney coming up with a new economic and security agreement before that date. Article content Article content Article content Carney met on Parliament Hill first thing in the morning with Democratic senators Rob Wyden from Oregon, Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, to discuss Canada's ongoing trade war with the U.S. Article content Article content Murkowski is one of the only Republican senators who has been openly critical of the Trump administration. Article content Speaking after the meeting, Wyden said the first step to bring stability to the Canada-U.S. economic relationship is to try to 'reinvigorate' CUSMA — known as USMCA on the U.S. side — and said the other visiting senators share his view. Article content 'This is something that we've had a considerable amount of success with since it was written during the (first) Trump administration, and we ought to strengthen it. We ought to build it, not get rid of it,' Wyden said. Article content Article content CUSMA is scheduled for review in 2026. Over the weekend, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he expects Trump will want to renegotiate the existing agreement next year. Article content Article content 'It makes perfect sense for the president to renegotiate it,' Lutnick told CBS News in an interview that aired on Sunday. 'He wants to protect American jobs. He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they could be built in Michigan and Ohio.' Article content Wyden did not specify what he meant exactly by reinvigorating the existing trade deal, or if it meant in his view an early review or renegotiation ahead of next year's deadline. Article content 'At the end of the day, you are our best friends, and the relationship is going through some great strain,' said Hassan, whose state, New Hampshire, has long been a tourist destination for Canadians. Article content 'But we do think that the framework of the USMCA gives us an opportunity to, kind of in one framework, come together and improve on something that was a great bipartisan success back in 2018,' she added.
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
U.S. senators meet with Carney, push to ‘reinvigorate' CUSMA ahead of Trump deadline
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney heard from a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators on Monday that he should seek to 'reinvigorate' discussions about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement as he faces pressure to close a deal with the White House by Aug. 1. Article content U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a blanket tariff of 35 per cent starting next month on Canadian goods entering his country, barring him and Carney coming up with a new economic and security agreement before that date. Article content Article content Article content Carney met on Parliament Hill first thing in the morning with Democratic senators Rob Wyden from Oregon, Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, to discuss Canada's ongoing trade war with the U.S. Article content Article content Speaking after the meeting, Wyden said the first step to bring stability to the Canada-U.S. economic relationship is to try to 'reinvigorate' CUSMA — known as USMCA on the U.S. side — and said the other visiting senators share his view. Article content 'This is something that we've had a considerable amount of success with since it was written during the (first) Trump administration, and we ought to strengthen it. We ought to build it, not get rid of it,' Wyden said. Article content Article content CUSMA is scheduled for review in 2026. Over the weekend, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said he expects Trump will want to renegotiate the existing agreement next year. Article content Article content 'It makes perfect sense for the president to renegotiate it,' Lutnick told CBS News in an interview that aired on Sunday. 'He wants to protect American jobs. He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they could be built in Michigan and Ohio.' Article content Wyden did not specify what he meant exactly by reinvigorating the existing trade deal, or if it meant in his view an early review or renegotiation ahead of next year's deadline. Article content 'At the end of the day, you are our best friends, and the relationship is going through some great strain,' said Hassan, whose state, New Hampshire, has long been a tourist destination for Canadians. Article content 'But we do think that the framework of the USMCA gives us an opportunity to, kind of in one framework, come together and improve on something that was a great bipartisan success back in 2018,' she added.
