US backs off French language demands in Canada trade dispute, LeBlanc says

The United States has withdrawn positions concerning the promotion of French language and Canadian culture as Ottawa and Washington remain locked in a wider trade dispute.

Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the development on Wednesday after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer addressed the issue in an interview with CBC News.

“Canada welcomes that the U.S. is now withdrawing its positions on discoverability and labelling and is confirming that measures to promote French language and Canadian culture will not be subject to future U.S. trade actions,” LeBlanc said in a social media post.

“We look forward to further constructive U.S. clarifications on their other positions which would create the possibility of a mutually beneficial trade agreement that respects Canadian sovereignty.”

Greer told CBC News that the discoverability of French-language content had been discussed during Canada-US trade negotiations, but said the issue was not a deal-breaker.

The clarification comes after concerns that Canadian cultural and French-language protections had become a sticking point in negotiations between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump also addressed the controversy on Tuesday, calling the suggestion that he wanted to interfere with Canadians speaking French a “stupid thing” in a social media post.