Trade War

Champagne to meet U.S. counterpart Bessent at G20 ministers' meeting

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The Canadian Press

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OTTAWA — Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will meet with his U.S. counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers’ meetings in North Carolina this week.

Champagne’s spokesperson John Fragos confirmed in a media statement that the minister will meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the next two days.

It’s believed to be the first face-to-face meeting between high-ranking Canadian and U.S. officials since trade talks between the two nations broke down 10 days ago and gave way to an escalating tariff fight.

Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne arrives for the G20 Finance Ministerial in Asheville, N.C., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne arrives for the G20 Finance Ministerial in Asheville, N.C., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Bessent also confirmed the meeting with Champagne in an appearance on CNBC today, where he blamed the failed talks on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s approach to politics.

Fragos said in his statement that Canada walked away from the negotiation table after the U.S. introduced unfair and uneconomic terms at the last minute.

He says Champagne will be taking a message of shared prosperity into his bilateral meetings at the G20 summit over the next two days, with a goal of diversifying Canada’s trading relationships.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2026

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press