Washington DC - US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday confirmed that Washington and Ottawa have been engaged in close talks aimed at securing a lasting trade deal.

In an interview with CNBC, Greer stressed that "the substance of the deal is more important than a timeline" and refused to give any indication of when a trade agreement is likely to be reached between the two historic allies.

He did confirm, however, that President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have been holding regular conversations over recent weeks and have been working steadily to find a mutually agreeable deal.

While Greer confirmed that "we certainly are working on it," he pointed most of the blame at the Canadians, who he said "would love to go back to how things used to be, where there's just unfettered free trade between our two countries."

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Asked about whether Trump's aggressive trade war with Canada had damaged the Republicans' results in the midterms, Greer went on the defensive.

"What I hear from the other side, is some people characterize some of the tariffs as chaotic or reckless," he stressed.

"Some people want to have more stability with Canada. I just talked to you about working on a deal with Canada. I agree on wanting to have certainty on tariffs."

Greer said that Trump's tariff policy will continue despite the midterm results, and pointed out that gas, oil, and most food goods are not subject to levies.

Earlier this week, Carney sought to head-off speculation about how the Republicans' midterm defeat would impact trade talks, reiterating that Trump is still the most crucial player.

"What is clear is that the people who decide on trade agreements are the executive in the United States over the next two or three years," Carney said. "The President, the executive, and Americans, not necessarily legislators."