Prime Minister Mark Carney said his trade discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump were “very constructive” and “wide-ranging,” and there will be more in the weeks to come, but did not say when he believes Ottawa can get the tariffs to come off.
“I conveyed to the president today what our countries have long proven to be true, that Canada and the United States are stronger when we work together,” Carney said during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on May 6.
The prime minister said the two leaders would have more discussions in the future, including at the G7 Summit set to be held in Alberta from June 15 to 17. Carney said his government would continue reinforcing its military, heightening border security, and building an economy that “creates jobs, grows incomes, and withstands shocks.”
When asked what it might take for the tariffs to be lifted, Carney told reporters he could not answer that question because “we don’t make that decision.” But he said his government had made the case in several areas where it believed the tariffs could be lifted, such as its efforts on border security that have led to a 90 percent reduction in illegal crossings.
“That is an example of where we would see the case being very strong for the tariffs to be removed. We’ve made that case. We’ll see where that goes,” he said.
Canada is currently facing three different sets of U.S. tariffs, with some items under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) being exempt. The 25 percent tariffs that the United States placed on Canada in March were related to fentanyl and illegal immigration at the Canada–U.S. border, and Ottawa has taken several steps to strengthen border security through a $1.5 billion spending package.
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Trump also recently said he intends to impose 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made movies, which would impact Canada’s film industry.
In the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump was asked if there was anything Carney could say during their meeting that would get him to lift the tariffs. He responded there wasn’t and added, “That’s just the way it is.”
Trump also said that USMCA, which Trump signed during his first term as president, is a “good deal for everybody” and will be re-negotiated or terminated in 2026. Carney said the agreement is the “basis for a broader negotiation,” and some aspects of it would need to be changed.
‘51st State’ Comments
During that meeting in the White House, the president also said that he would still like to see Canada join the United States, which he has repeatedly talked about in recent months. “I still believe that, but it takes two to tango,” he said.
Carney responded that there are “some places that are never for sale,” and that the two countries could continue to build on their current partnership. Trump responded, “Never say never.”
“I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable and only doable in a very friendly way. But if it’s to everybody’s benefit,” he said.
Following the meeting, Carney was asked by a reporter if he had asked Trump to stop referring to Canada as the 51st state, which he has repeatedly done in recent months. Carney responded that he had asked this, but added, “He’s the president. He’s his own person.”
“He understands that we’re having a negotiation between sovereign nations, and that we will only pursue and accept a deal that’s in the best interests of Canada, not just in the short term, but in the medium and long term,” Carney said.
