NDP says government needs to be more transparent in trade talks with the U.S.

By Canadian Press on June 1, 2025.

OTTAWA — The NDP’s interim NDP leader is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to honour the government’s commitment to table information about any U.S. trade talks in the House of Commons.

The request from Don Davies comes ahead of this month’s meeting of G7 leaders, where Carney will once again meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and the two will continue to work out a new new economic and security relationship between the two countries.

A letter from Davies to Carney, dated May 29, says the NDP is concerned the government has entered “preliminary” discussions with the Trump administration about renegotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, which is up for review next year.

Davies writes that in Feb. 2020, then deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland committed to tabling notice of intent for trade talks in the House at least 90 days before they begin, sharing talk objectives at least 30 days before negotiations start, and providing an economic impact assessment alongside implementation legislation.

Davies says there’s no indication these steps are currently being followed.

In a May 27 interview with CBC’s “Power & Politics,” Carney said there needs to be more progress on the U.S. tariff issue before trade talks can begin.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press