French-language protections in Quebec have emerged as an unlikely source of friction between Canada and the United States, bringing rules designed to protect French in overwhelmingly English-speaking North America into a much bigger fight over trade.
Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed Canadian negotiators to walk away from trade talks in Washington on 21 August after the two sides failed to reach a deal. The breakdown centred on much broader disagreements over US tariffs, access to the Canadian market and Canada's ability to protect key industries.
