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Justice Department Rejects Report of Freeze in Canada Antitrust Ties

By  |  September 6, 2026
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The US Justice Department rejected a report that its antitrust division had been directed to suspend cooperation with Canadian authorities, pushing back on an account that raised fresh questions about whether worsening trade relations between the two countries were spilling into law-enforcement coordination.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Justice Department antitrust officials were told during the week to stop working with their Canadian counterparts on cases and policy matters. Reuters subsequently reported the development and obtained a denial from the department.

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    According to Reuters, the Justice Department said the broader suspension described in the report had not been ordered. The department said officials had instead been instructed to delay a meeting involving a particular investigation so the US antitrust team would have additional time to prepare.

    The conflicting accounts emerged as relations between Washington and Ottawa have deteriorated over trade since President Donald Trump returned to office in early 2025. Tariffs imposed during the dispute now affect tens of billions of dollars in commerce between the neighboring countries, according to Reuters.

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    The Journal, citing internal emails, reported that Lynda Marshall, who heads the antitrust division’s international section, sent instructions Wednesday directing officials to cease cooperation with Canadian authorities on cases as well as policy engagement. The report said no explanation for the instruction was provided at the time.

    A second communication on Friday asked section chiefs to identify areas in which the division works with Canada, according to the Journal’s account cited by Reuters. The Journal later reported that the original instruction resulted from a misunderstanding and that Marshall subsequently informed staff that cooperation with Canadian authorities could continue.

    US and Canadian competition authorities have a long history of working together on matters with cross-border implications, including merger reviews and investigations involving industries operating in both countries, the Journal reported. That coordination has included cases involving technology, aerospace, auto parts and air cargo.

    The episode comes against a more contentious political backdrop. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become part of the US and recently ordered the US federal government to use the name “Lake America” for Lake Ontario, Reuters reported. The US designation does not determine what Canadian authorities or other governments call the body of water.

    The White House directed Reuters’ questions about the antitrust matter to the Justice Department. Canadian officials did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

    The Justice Department’s denial leaves the episode centered on an apparent internal communication dispute rather than a confirmed change in US policy toward Canadian antitrust authorities.

    Source: Reuters