United States
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IrelandCanada-U.S. trade talks intensify without negotiators sharing a room
Michael Serapio reports a renewed negotiating push, but links Washington's urgency to voters' concerns about affordability ahead of the midterms.
Why this story? One of CTV News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 106,207 views.
CTV News: The news division of CTV, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media. 2.4M subscribers and 3.4B views.
Why Trump and Carney are suddenly pushing for a trade deal
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:30Serapio says talks have intensified, although the top negotiating teams have not met in the same room.
- 1:21Trump says the countries have the concept of a deal and are close to an agreement.
- 1:48Carney's post describes constructive discussions aimed at protecting Canadian jobs, culture and sovereignty.
- 2:30Serapio says earlier negotiations collapsed in August over sovereignty and language issues.
- 4:18Serapio identifies Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as a driving force behind the renewed negotiations.
- 5:36The analysis links Washington's urgency to midterm pressure over affordability and tariffs.
Canada and the United States have been conducting intense trade talks without their top negotiating teams meeting in the same room, according to CTV News, Canada's television news network. That distinction sits behind the optimistic public statements from President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Reporting from Ottawa, Michael Serapio says discussions have intensified over the past ten days. Trump describes the two countries as close to an agreement: "We have the concept of a very good deal with Canada." In another excerpt, he says a deal would benefit American farmers.
Carney's message emphasizes what Canada wants to protect. Serapio highlights the prime minister's social media account of constructive discussions focused on Canadian jobs, culture and sovereignty. Neither leader's remarks presented in the report amount to an announcement of a completed agreement.
There is a reason for caution beyond the wording. Serapio says earlier negotiations collapsed in August over sovereignty and language issues. He identifies U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as a driving force behind the renewed effort.
The report, published on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections, then turns to the political timing. Serapio discusses battleground polling and argues that Republicans want to demonstrate they are responding to Americans' economic concerns. He connects that pressure to the administration's trade diplomacy, rather than presenting the renewed talks as evidence that the remaining disagreements have been resolved.
"It's affordability, affordability, affordability, and part of that is Donald Trump's tariff war," Serapio says. His analysis makes household costs central to Washington's urgency, while Carney's stated priorities keep the focus on the terms Canada would accept.
Canada's prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party since 2025. An economist, he previously headed the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
More on Wikipedia ›An American businessman and government official who has served as U.S. secretary of commerce since 2025.
More on Wikipedia ›The 2026 elections held during Donald Trump's second presidential term, with all 435 U.S. House seats and 35 Senate seats contested, alongside state and local races.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- CTV News
- Subscribers
- 2,430,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 23,052,445
- Channel views, pace per day
- 1,443,140 (on a normal day: 3,787,501)
- Video published
- November 2, 2026
- Video views so far
- 106,207 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 152,253
The numbers
The report drew about 106,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Canada's most-watched new news uploads.
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From which Canadian city does Michael Serapio report in this video?
Serapio delivers the trade-talk update from CTV's Ottawa bureau.