Quebec premier dodges position on Canada-U.S. trade deal as deadline looms

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is keeping her position on a proposed Canada-U.S. trade agreement under wraps, saying she needs time to analyze its economic impact before committing her support.

"As Donald Trump's threats continue to loom over Quebec, my priority remains the same: to protect our workers, our jobs, and our businesses, and to avoid an escalation of tariffs," Fréchette said Thursday on social media. But she stopped short of endorsing the roadmap being finalized by Canada's Minister of Trade Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Fréchette had a "long" call with Prime Minister Mark Carney but said she remained unsatisfied. "I didn't get answers to my questions," she said during a press conference in Roberval on Wednesday. She promised to respond once her analysis is complete.

The premier defined any concessions on supply management — the system protecting Canada's dairy market — as a "red line." LeBlanc asserted Thursday that the "supply management system remains entirely intact," but he did not specify whether dairy product quotas are changing.

Time is running short. President Trump's reprieve from imposing new 50 percent tariffs expires August 23, at 12:01 a.m. LeBlanc met with Greer in Washington Thursday for another round of talks, accompanied by Prime Minister Carney's chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard, Canadian ambassador Mark Wiseman, and chief negotiator Janice Charette.

"We are encouraged because we continue to move forward, to make progress," LeBlanc said. "However, we will remain here and work until we have the details of an agreement that is in Canada's best interest."

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet is demanding "transparency" from Carney and calling for opposition leaders to be consulted on the agreement. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also complained he was left out of negotiations. Both Blanchet and Poilievre pressed Carney to protect supply management.