Quebec premier Christine Fréchette concluded a meeting with U.S. official Mark Carney in Montreal on August 19, 2026 without a clear sense of how the pending Ottawa-Washington customs-duty arrangement might affect her province. The discussion lasted roughly ninety minutes, after which Fréchette said she could not determine whether the agreement would be advantageous for Quebec.
During the session, Carney did not provide assurances that the proposed customs duties framework would benefit the province. Fréchette noted the lack of reassurance and expressed uncertainty about the deal's potential impact on Quebec's economy. The meeting was part of ongoing negotiations between the Canadian and U.S. governments aimed at establishing a new customs-duty regime.
Ottawa and Washington are currently working on a bilateral agreement that could reshape trade flows and tariff structures across the border. While the broader talks continue at the federal level, provincial leaders such as Fréchette are monitoring the process closely to gauge possible repercussions for local businesses and industries.
Fréchette's inability to confirm a benefit reflects the complexity of the negotiations and the importance of the outcome for Quebec. The province's economic stakeholders are watching the development of the customs-duty arrangement, awaiting further details that could clarify its effects.
The meeting in Montreal, lasting about one and a half hours, concluded without a definitive statement from either side regarding the agreement's advantages for Quebec. Both officials will continue to follow the progress of the Ottawa-Washington discussions as they evolve.