U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over the phone, and that the two leaders plan to meet “immediately” after the federal election.
“It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things,” Trump said on Truth Social on March 28, adding that the two would meet “immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors.”
Trump added that the discussion between the two leaders will “end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout that Carney and Trump had a “very constructive conversation about the relationship between our two countries.” The leaders agreed to begin “comprehensive negotiations” about a new economic and security relationship after the election.
“The Prime Minister told the President that he would be working hard for the next month to earn the right to represent Canada in those discussions,” reads the PMO statement.
Until then, it was agreed that conversations between Canada’s International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick would “intensify to address immediate concerns.”
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Carney also informed Trump that Ottawa will implement retaliatory tariffs after the U.S. announces additional trade actions on April 2, the PMO said.
Later in the day, Trump told reporters in the White House that he and Carney had a “very good conversation” and that the U.S. is “going to end up with a very good relationship with Canada, and a lot of the other countries.”
On March 26, Trump announced he would put 25 percent tariffs on all vehicles and some car parts imported into the United States. The automobile tariffs are set to kick in on April 3, a day after the U.S. will impose reciprocal tariffs on all its trading partners. Tariffs on auto parts will take effect on May 3.
Trump also placed 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico on March 4, but soon after, announced a one-month tariff pause on all products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump also imposed 25 percent tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum, including from Canada, on March 12.
Following a U.S.-Canada cabinet commitee meeting on March 27, Carney announced he would hold a phone call with Trump in the coming days, where he said he would make clear that the two countries are “best served by cooperation and mutual respect.”
During that press conference, the prime minister said his government was considering “many options” to retaliate against the latest tariffs, and that these measures would have “maximum impact in the United States and minimum impacts here in Canada.”
Carney added that Canada needed to prepare for a “drastically different world” where it can no longer rely on the United States. “The old relationship we had with the United States—based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperations—is over,” he said.
Carney previously said on March 24 that a phone call with Trump would not happen until after the next Canadian election on April 28, as he said he thinks the U.S. president is “waiting for the outcome of the election” before talks, to “see who has a strong mandate from Canadians.”
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister on March 14 after winning the Liberal leadership race, said that call would need to happen “on our terms as a sovereign country, not as what he pretends we are,” in reference to Trump’s repeated remarks that Canada should merge with the United States.
During a press conference in Nanaimo B.C., Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he hoped Carney and Trump had a “successful talk” and looked forward to hearing of the “results that they achieved in that conversation for Canadians.”
The Tory leader later added he hopes that there is “a change in tone” between Canada and the United States, and that the countries can “put an end to this crazy tariff chaos.”
“We have the best trading relationship in the history of the world. Why not continue and grow that trading relationship as two separate, sovereign nations,” Poilievre said.
“True, free trade without tariffs will allow both of our economies to separately grow stronger so that we can fund stronger militaries and more secure borders, and make our continent safe against the real risks from overseas.”
