One of Trump's top deputies has been unsatisfied with trade deal on the table for Canada, sources say

One of U.S. President Donald Trump's most influential cabinet members has expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the trade deal on the table with Canada and is pushing for changes to be made as the high-stakes trade negotiations come down to the wire in Washington, CBC News has learned.

Four sources with knowledge of the closed-door discussions say U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a central figure in the Trump administration's economic policy who has known the president for decades, has said he believed the United States could secure a better agreement than the one that's been on offer since Tuesday.

The sources say Lutnick took particular issue with potentially lowering the sectoral tariffs, known as 232 tariffs, including lowering the levy on Canada-made automobiles from 25 per cent to 15 per cent. They say Lutnick believes the reprieve would undermine efforts to encourage domestic production in the U.S.

CBC News is not identifying the sources, who had been briefed on the talks as of Thursday night, because they were not authorized to speak about the discussions.

None of the sources suggested Lutnick's involvement jeopardized the deal, but the secretary's behind-the-scenes disgruntlement with the agreement was at odds with the optimistic message that Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the two governments' top trade negotiators have presented to the public in recent days.

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"We're really happy with where we ended up," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters on Wednesday. "We feel confident that we've reached an agreement that will not only continue to protect American workers, American jobs, supply chains, but really strengthen the American economy."

A fifth source close to the negotiations said Lutnick has been constructive and engaging with the negotiating team — tough, they said, but engaging.

CBC News has contacted the White House as well as the offices of the U.S. commerce secretary, the U.S. trade representative and Canada's trade minister for comment. None had responded by publication.

Canada and the United States have been pushing to finalize a trade agreement before Trump's three-day suspension on new tariffs against a range of Canadian goods expires at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday.

Canadian and U.S. negotiators continue trade talks as midnight deadline looms

The terms of the deal have not been made public, but separate sources have said it would lower sectoral tariffs that have been crushing the Canadian aluminum, steel and automobile sectors for months. In return, Carney asked Canadian premiers to consider ending provincial bans on American alcohol.

"Any reporting about details of this possible deal should be regarded as speculation until and unless officially announced by the Administration," an official wrote in a statement to CBC News on Wednesday.

Earlier that day, Trump characterized the agreement as "a good deal for everybody," while Carney said Canada was focused on "securing the best terms in each of Canada’s most important strategic sectors."