Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard meets with policy-makers in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON — Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard expressed cautious optimism after a discussion with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday about various trade-related irritants.
Couillard met with Ross for about 20 minutes to talk about softwood lumber litigation, NAFTA and Boeing’s trade complaint against Quebec-based Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B).
“I’m more optimistic now than when I arrived because I felt a desire to go further, to make progress and to reach deals,” the premier told reporters.
Couillard said renegotiating the Mexico-Canada-United States free-trade agreement is the file that will take the longest to settle.