Article content continued

“We’re willing to engage, we’re willing to set up a table, we want solutions. That solution means that there should be no tariffs,” Canadian Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said Monday in a telephone interview when asked about the standoff with Boeing. “We’re going to be very clear that we’re going to defend the aerospace sector.”

Bains declined to say whether discussions between Boeing, Canada and the U.K. are ongoing.

Last month, Canada’s federal government escalated the trade fight by scrapping plans to buy 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets while launching a search for new military aircraft under parameters that could hamper future bids from the U.S. planemaker. British Prime Minister Theresa May, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and Clark have all said the case puts at risk Boeing’s chances of winning future contracts from Britain.

“We hope you will agree that it is in our collective interests for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible and would welcome an opportunity to see how we could settle this case in a reasonable way for all concerned,” Freeland and Clark told Muilenburg in their joint letter, dated Dec. 18.

The U.K. “is now likely to explore a wider range of procurement alternatives in the future than would have otherwise been the case, in line with requirements on all U.K. procurers to consider social economic objectives,” the ministers added.