An international trade lawyer walks readers through how to parse whatever Canada-U.S. trade announcement eventually materializes, warning that words like 'interim' and 'first phase' signal Canada gave up something real now in exchange for a promise redeemable later, or never.
He notes that suspended tariffs aren't withdrawn tariffs — the U.S. president can reimpose them by signature alone — and that some of what Washington wants, like access to provincial liquor shelves and procurement rules, isn't Ottawa's to promise in the first place, since Quebec has already said in writing it will decide for itself.
The piece flags a circular standoff: Washington won't drop steel and auto tariffs unless provinces restore American alcohol access, and provinces won't do that unless Washington drops the tariffs first, with each side waiting on the other to blink.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.