Canada has expressed confidence in reaching a new trade agreement with the United States following the removal of most of its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Senior Canadian officials, including Minister Dominic LeBlanc, have indicated that this step aims to improve Canada's position in ongoing negotiations with the U.S., particularly under the Trump administration. The tariffs had been a major point of contention, with Canada previously imposing counter-tariffs of 25 percent in response to U.S. tariffs as high as 50 percent on Canadian steel. LeBlanc, after recent talks in Washington, conveyed a sense of progress in resolving trade disputes and advancing a new economic and security relationship between the two countries.