Wab Kinew warns Canada against Trump concessions as US tariff deal nears

Toronto,UPDATED: Aug 21, 2026 03:34 IST

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew on Thursday sharply criticised US President Donald Trump and urged Canada not to rush into making concessions in trade talks with Washington. Kinew said Trump was a "bad person" and "not to be trusted", even as Canada and the United States appeared close to a deal that could prevent threatened 50 per cent US tariffs.

Kinew said Canada still had leverage in the talks, although Manitoba was considering restoring sales of US alcohol at the request of Prime Minister Mark Carney as part of a wider effort to secure an agreement. Federal minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is handling Canada-US trade, said after another meeting in Washington with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the two sides were nearing a final pact.

"Everybody knows the American president by now, he's erratic, he's irresponsible, and he's not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we're going to make additional concessions for it. That's why I say you can't make a good deal with a bad person, because who's to say it's not going to be undone?" Kinew said.

LeBlanc said, "We're very close. We continue to make progress," and added that Canadian officials would remain in Washington to keep working on the deal. Trump has described the emerging agreement as "very fair" to both sides. Tariffs on about USD 20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been delayed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday, but neither country has released the full terms of the proposed deal.

Despite his criticism of Trump, Kinew said Manitoba could still support Carney's request under a "Team Canada" approach. He also asked consumers to continue buying Canadian products even if US alcohol returns to provincial liquor stores. Other premiers, including those of Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, have publicly backed the direction of Carney's negotiations. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham said all premiers agreed during Wednesday's call with Carney to return US alcohol to store shelves, though not every premier has said so publicly.

Kinew said, "I think we should fight. I think Donald Trump is very weak. I think America is weaker around the world today than it was a year ago. He's about to get slaughtered in the midterms and the cost of living is the number one issue and he's completely out of touch with the cost of living of Americans." He added, "We've got the upper hand. They are back on their heels right now. They are coming to us for a deal right now."

Kinew said he understood Carney's message to mean that restoring US alcohol sales was effectively needed to complete the deal. The provincial restrictions on US alcohol have been a major irritant for the Trump administration, which has pushed Canada to remove measures that sharply reduced American liquor sales. Provincial governments cannot block an overall Canada-US agreement, but they do control steps such as liquor sales and some procurement rules that have become part of the talks.

Eight of Canada's 10 provinces restrict or ban US alcohol. Those measures were brought in as retaliation for Trump's earlier tariffs on Canadian goods and amid anger over his repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st US state. Kinew said Carney had strongly pressed premiers to lift the restrictions even while the rest of the deal was still being worked out. "I wouldn't say that he was begging us, but what is the step before begging?" Kinew said.

Ontario is seen as especially important because its government-run LCBO is one of the world's biggest alcohol buyers. Before US products were removed from shelves last year, it sold nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars, or USD 723 million, worth of American products each year. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has clashed with Trump before, has not yet commented on the proposed deal.

Kinew said Canadians should still avoid US products even if they return. "When we put the American booze back on the Liquor Mart shelves, Canadians, leave it there. Spend your money on Canadian products that are going to employ people in our country and that have an administration that respects Canada," he said.

He also said Manitoba could agree to remove formal restrictions on US companies and products, including procurement preferences, while still favouring Canadian suppliers in its own buying. Kinew said he would rather keep fighting, pointing to Trump's habit of announcing very high import taxes and then retreating. He referred to the "TACO" trade, a term coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong, which stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out". "Do we expect that this is going to be the end of Donald Trump?," Kinew said.

Quebec Premier Christine Frchette said Carney had answered many of her questions about the emerging agreement, but she stopped short of backing it as the province studies the economic impact. She said Quebec could return US alcohol to the shelves of the SAQ, the provincial corporation that controls most wine and spirits sales, but stressed that the decision would be Quebec's. Overall, the talks remain close to a deal, but provinces are still weighing whether to restore US alcohol sales and how far to ease other restrictions as negotiations continue.

With PTI Inputs

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