Toronto, Aug 20 (AP) Quebec Premier Christine Frechette said Thursday that Prime Minister Mark Carney had answered many of her questions about an emerging Canada-US trade agreement, but she stopped short of endorsing the deal while the province assesses its potential impact.

Frechette had said a day earlier that negotiations were “far from over" and that Quebec alone would decide whether US alcohol returns to shelves at the SAQ, the Quebec government corporation that controls most wine and spirits sales in the province.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-US trade, returned to Washington on Thursday to meet again with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as the two sides continued work to finalize an agreement.

Frechette said Carney provided answers to many of her questions during a lengthy call Thursday, though Quebec was still awaiting some information.

“I got a number of the answers that I was looking for,” Frechette said in French, adding that the province would analyse the potential economic impact before taking a position.

Frechette said Quebec could restore US alcohol to SAQ shelves if its analysis finds the overall agreement is positive for the province.

Canada and the United States moved closer to finalising a trade agreement that would avert threatened 50 per cent US tariffs. US President Donald Trump has called the emerging agreement “very fair” to both sides and predicted US farmers and manufacturers would benefit. Tariffs on about USD 20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 am Saturday.

Neither Canadian nor US officials have released the full terms of the emerging agreement.

Quebec does not have a veto over a Canada-US trade agreement, but it controls provincial measures such as whether US alcohol is sold through the SAQ.

Carney asked provincial premiers during a briefing Wednesday to return US alcohol to store shelves, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said, a step aimed at addressing one of the Trump administration's key trade complaints.

The White House has said the emerging deal includes a Canadian commitment to address restrictions on US alcohol. But Carney cannot order provinces to restore sales.

Frechette's Coalition Avenir Quebec faces voters in an October provincial election, adding political pressure as she assesses changes that could affect Quebec's dairy and forestry sectors.

Houston and two other premiers voiced support for the direction of the talks, though Houston said whether Canadians would actually buy US alcohol again “is a whole other discussion.” Eight of Canada's 10 provinces restrict or ban US alcohol — measures imposed in retaliation for Trump's previous tariffs on Canadian goods and amid anger over his repeated talk of making Canada the 51st US state.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, is especially important. Its government-run LCBO, one of the world's largest alcohol purchasers, sold nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars (USD 723 million) worth of US products annually before pulling them from shelves last year.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has clashed with Trump before, has not yet commented on the emerging deal.

While details of the emerging agreement remain vague, Trump has claimed Canada agreed to end tariffs on US agricultural products.

Canada currently allows a set amount of dairy imports at low tariffs. Once imports exceed that limit, much higher tariffs apply. The US says Canada's supply-management system makes it harder for American dairy producers to gain full access to the Canadian market.

LeBlanc has said Canada's “agriculture sector will be well protected and we have maintained our tough line.” (AP) GRS GRS