US President Donald Trump said that his first conversation with the new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, was “extremely productive”, and Carney said that talks on new relations between the two neighboring countries will begin next month, after the parliamentary elections in Canada.
The former central banker of Canada was sworn in as prime minister on March 14, exactly two weeks ago, which is unusually long for a conversation on such occasions and testifies to the state of relations.
Trump declared a trade war with Canada and threatened to use economic coercion to make Canada the 51st US state. His repeatedly repeated attitude angered Canadians.
Trump avoided mentioning it in a social media post today about the conversation with Carney.
The American president wrote that they “agree on many things” and that immediately after the upcoming elections in Canada, “they will meet to work on elements of politics, business and all other factors that will ultimately be great for both the United States and Canada.”
Trump addressed the Canadian prime minister by his first name, Mark, rather than “governor,” as he did with Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
Carney’s office announced that immediately after the April 28 general election, comprehensive negotiations with the US on “a new economic and security relationship” would begin.
Carney, who recently replaced Trudeau as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, is at the beginning of the election campaign.
Trump stepped up his trade war with Canada this week by announcing a 25 percent tariff on imports of cars and parts from its northern neighbor, to which cars are a top US export.
Trump previously imposed tariffs of 25 percent on Canadian steel and aluminum, and is threatening high tariffs on all Canadian products, as well as products from all U.S. trading partners, that are set to take effect on April 2.
Canada announced retaliatory measures, and Carney repeated this tonight in a conversation with Trump to “protect Canadian workers and our economy,” Carney’s office said.
US Vice President JD Vance today took a tougher stance on Canada, noting that Canadian leadership is “retaliating with tariffs” because, “as President Trump always says, they just don’t have the cards.” Vance said this during a visit to the US military base in Greenland and assessed that “there is no way Canada can win a trade war with the United States”.
Vance claims that Canadian leadership has been forcing American farmers and American manufacturers to comply with “unfair rules” for decades.
In his first presidential term (2017-2021), Trump renegotiated the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. At the time, he called it “the most modern, most balanced trade agreement in the history of our country, with the most advanced protection of workers ever.”
The Canadian Prime Minister’s announcement states that Trump and Carney agreed that Canada’s International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will intensify talks to resolve current issues.
Carney previously said he would talk to Trump if he respected Canada’s sovereignty.
Canada’s ruling Liberals seemed to be reeling from a historic defeat in the election this year, and then Trump declared a trade war and questioned Canada’s sovereignty, and the crisis in relations with the US caused a surge of patriotism among Canadians, and now many believe that Carney is the best to lead the country.
Trump, a Republican, has acknowledged that he has changed political relations in Canada.