By Paul Vieira

U.S. trade talks with Canada have involved the level of aluminum tariffs as some U.S. manufacturers, most notably Ford Motor, are dealing with a financial hit, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The Treasury secretary's remarks Thursday signal possible relief for Canada's aluminum sector, which--along with steel makers--faces a 50% tariff on products entering the U.S. Canada is the U.S.'s biggest foreign supplier of both metals, and the deals President Trump has made to date have maintained the 50% duty of steel and aluminum.

The U.S. and Canada are in talks on a deal to resolve the tariff row ahead of Friday's deadline. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that it is possible the two sides can't reach an agreement, while Trump agreed to extend talks with Mexico by 90 days.

During an appearance on CNBC, Bessent addressed complaints from companies such as Ford about how U.S. tariffs are harming their bottom lines. Ford said earlier this week that it paid out over $800 million in tariffs last quarter despite manufacturing most of its vehicles in the U.S.

"I believe that the Ford F-150, F-250, their big-truck series, is made out of aluminum instead of steel," Bessent said, adding that he believes they were hit harder by aluminum tariffs.

"We will be negotiating with Canada on those," he said.

Carney, Canada's prime minister, has said he expects any deal with the U.S. will involve tariffs on strategic sectors, such as steel and automobiles.

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 31, 2025 13:32 ET (17:32 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.