The Prime Minister will deliver remarks on Canada's response to unjustified US tariffs on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The address is scheduled for 11:00 am at the West Block Foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Schedule of Events

The full day's agenda includes the following engagements:

Media Access

Coverage of the 11:00 am remarks is open. However, media wishing to cover the event must be accredited with the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery. Both the Cabinet meeting and the First Ministers' Meeting are closed to media.

Canada has suspended trade negotiations with the United States, stating that recent progress failed to meet its objectives for Canadian businesses and workers. Prime Minister Carney directed negotiators to return to Ottawa after describing last-minute changes in US proposed terms as unfair and uneconomic.

The decision follows the US intention to impose a 50% tariff on roughly $28 billion of Canadian goods at midnight. Canada announced it will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect its domestic industries.

Trade Negotiation Stance

The government outlined five core objectives for the negotiations: preserving tariff-free access for most Canadian business, providing greater stability to the trade relationship, significantly reducing US tariffs on key strategic industries, protecting small and medium-sized businesses, and maintaining national sovereignty.

Officials noted that the administration recognized early on that the US is altering all its trade relationships by placing tariffs on allies and charging for market access. The goal remained securing the best deal for Canadians rather than accepting any deal by a specific deadline.

Economic Diversification Strategy

Despite the suspension of talks, the government emphasized its broader economic strategy of building domestic strength and diversifying partnerships abroad. Key developments include:

• Advancing nearly $500 billion in major infrastructure projects.
• Unlocking new export markets, with existing free trade deals providing preferential access to 1.5 billion consumers.
• Aiming to double that market access by the end of this year.

What the Numbers Show

The source presents a divergence between immediate trade friction and long-term structural growth claims. While the government confronts a potential $28 billion tariff exposure and matches it with reciprocal measures, it simultaneously asserts that Canadian economic growth is accelerating. The claim of having the second-fastest growth in the G7 over the next two years contrasts sharply with the immediate threat to trade flows, suggesting a reliance on non-US markets and domestic infrastructure spending ($500 billion) to offset bilateral trade volatility.

Support Measures and Outlook

The government plans to introduce additional measures to support workers and businesses, building on nearly $25 billion in support provided over the past 18 months. Officials stated that exports to non-US markets are on track to double over the next decade and that foreign direct investment is at its highest level in two decades.