Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration remains Ottawa’s key negotiating counterpart on trade, despite Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections and promises to challenge tariffs on Canadian goods.

Speaking in Montreal on November 10, the prime minister said trade agreements would continue to be decided by “the executive in the United States,” according to The Associated Press.

Carney was responding to Quebec’s plans to approach American governors and senators. He argued Canada should have “one negotiator,” with the federal government responsible for the talks.

Democrats won both the House of Representatives and Senate in the November 3 elections. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, expected to chair the Senate finance committee when the new Congress takes office in January, has made repealing U.S. tariffs on Canada a priority, The Canadian Press reported.

Trump could block repeal legislation with a presidential veto, however. Congress would then need a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override a regular veto; a simple majority would be insufficient.

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On November 6, Carney welcomed efforts to restore free trade but said he had not spoken with Democrats about their proposed legislation. He argued a deal would benefit Canadian businesses and American workers and families.

Carney said Tuesday that he had spoken with Trump over the weekend and could meet him at upcoming summits. He said difficult issues remained, although Washington had backed away from demands involving French-language protections and Canadian cultural programming.

Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, who has travelled to Washington to help advance negotiations, has also urged Ottawa to keep working with Trump. He told The Canadian Press that resolving the dispute would allow Canada to focus on problems at home.

As Rebel News reported this week, American buyers took 70.2 per cent of Canadian merchandise exports in September, up from 69.9 per cent in August. Ottawa’s budget sets a target of doubling exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035.