President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met in Washington this week for a friendly round of talks. The meeting, held at the White House, was meant to ease growing trade tensions.
Carney, who’s only been in office for a few months, is under pressure back home to get relief from hefty US tariffs that are having a lasting impact on Canadian industries. Trump, meanwhile, praised Canada as a “great partner,” hinting that he might want to “do different deals.”
Trump and Carney talk trade
During the conversation, Trump called Carney a “world-class leader” and said the US-Canada relationship was one of “mutual love,” though he added, “We have natural conflict.”
Carney didn’t repeat the word “conflict,” instead describing it as “competition.” He told reporters, “There are areas where we compete, and it’s in those areas we have to come to an agreement that works. But there are more areas where we’re stronger together, and that’s what we’re focused on,” according to the BBC.
The United States currently imposes tariffs as high as 35% on some Canadian imports.The focus of the talks was the $100-billion-plus goods flow between the two nations that’s been weighed down by tariffs. Carney pushed for easing the US tariffs on steel, aluminium, and auto imports.
Trump signalled that Washington could either renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement or move toward separate bilateral deals. “We can renegotiate it, and that would be good, or we can just do different deals,” he said. “We might make deals that are better for the individual countries.”
Since taking office last spring, Carney has been careful in his dealings with Donald Trump, attempting to ease tensions left by Justin Trudeau while keeping Canada’s interests first. The two have exchanged polite texts and avoided public clashes, but their meetings haven’t been without awkward moments. When Trump jokingly suggested a “merger of Canada and the United States,” back in May, Carney laughed but reminded him, “Canada won’t be for sale, ever.”
When asked about his preference, Trump replied, “I don’t care. I want to make whatever the best deal is for this country, and also very much with Canada in mind.”
Canada sends nearly three-quarters of its exports to the US, making the stakes huge for Ottawa. The tariffs have already hurt manufacturers, and Carney’s critics at home, especially Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, called the visit “a wasted opportunity” if he didn’t bring home relief
Apart from trade, the two leaders discussed border safety and fentanyl trafficking. Trump praised Canada’s role in handling cross-border drug smuggling but said, “We’ve got to stamp it out.” Carney called it “a shared crisis” and said both sides “need to do more.”
No major deal was signed, but both leaders sounded optimistic about continuing talks. Trump said Canadians “will be very happy” once the next phase of negotiations wraps up. Carney agreed, calling it “a good start.”
Trump promises ‘fair treatment’ for Canada, keeps door open on trade deal
Trump on Tuesday promised that Canada would be treated “fairly” in trade talks. The POTUS, however, stopped short of confirming whether the United States will stick with the USMCA trade agreement that also includes Mexico. The comments came ahead of his Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, marking their second round of talks in five months. “I think they’re going to walk away very happy,” Trump said before the meeting. “We’re going to treat people fairly. We’re going to especially treat Canada fairly.”
Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc described the discussions as “successful, positive, and substantive,” but said the work was far from over. “I’m happy and content because I think we have momentum now that we did not have when we woke up this morning,” LeBlanc told reporters. “But we have not yet finished our work.”
Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau in March, has maintained a warmer rapport with Trump than his predecessor. “From the beginning, I liked him, and we’ve had a good relationship,” Trump said.
Carney returned the compliment, calling Trump “a transformative president.” Trump interrupted him mid-sentence to joke about “the merger of Canada and the United States,” again. “That wasn’t where I was going,” Carney laughed.
Canada’s Trade Strain Grows
With nearly 75% of its exports bound for the US, Canada remains deeply exposed to American trade policies. Tariffs on steel, aluminium, and auto parts have hurt manufacturers, particularly in Ontario.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford requested Carney to take a stricter stance with Washington. “We seem to be weakening our case by continuously pulling off tariffs,” Ford said. “I’d take a different approach, try to get a deal. If you can’t, you’ve got to hit him back hard and never stop hitting him back hard.”
Tariffs, travel, and tensions
The tariff war has strained ties between the two neighbours. In March, Ford threatened to cut off electricity exports to New York state and ordered liquor stores in Ontario to boycott US alcohol. Many Canadians have also reduced travel to the United States in protest.
Trump, however, seemed less concerned about the cooling sentiment. “I think the people of Canada will love us again. Most of them still do,” he said.
Despite the friendly talks and jokes, neither leader left with a concrete deal in hand. But with both sides agreeing to keep talking, officials see the meeting as a small step toward resetting one of the world’s closest yet most complicated economic relationships.