Canada races to close U.S. trade deal before Aug. 19 tariff round

Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief negotiator Janice Charette are meeting U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington to finalize an interim deal before Aug. 19, when 50-per-cent U.S. tariffs on roughly US$20-billion in Canadian goods — alcohol, dairy, electronics — take effect. Sources say a deal's contours are taking shape but nothing is agreed and Trump has not signed off.