Canada, US make progress on trade deal as Mark Carney pursues new Asian markets

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said negotiations with the United States are moving forward, following a lengthy conversation with President Donald Trump and senior officials, even as Ottawa works to expand trade ties across Asia and reduce its reliance on the American market.Speaking to reporters in Manila on Saturday, Carney said he had a “quite a long, substantive conversation” with Trump shortly before leaving for his trip to Europe and Asia.“We are making progress. There is the possibility of a deal, a bilateral deal. But we’re not yet there,” he said.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Trump's newly appointed White House chief of staff, Stephen Miller, also took part in the discussion, Carney said.Ottawa, however, is not prepared to accept terms that could weaken its automotive industry, which has faced pressure from US tariffs.The latest discussions follow the breakdown of trade negotiations in August, when Canada suspended talks over last-minute demands from Washington that it considered unacceptable. The US subsequently imposed 50% tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, prompting Canada to introduce retaliatory duties in September. Negotiations have since resumed.A potential agreement could ease some of the tariffs affecting major industries, including steel and aluminium. However, the scope of any deal remains uncertain.Before the US midterm elections, Trump said the two countries were close to reaching…