Fresh off election win, Carney braces for “difficult but constructive” U.S. meeting amid tensions over tariffs and sovereignty.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday that he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington next Tuesday for wide-ranging trade, tariffs, and defence talks. Carney, who won Canada’s recent election campaigning on standing up to Trump, said the old era of U.S.-Canada integration is over and that the two nations must chart a new course.
Key topics on the table:
- U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, which Carney has called a “betrayal.”
- Long-term security and defense ties between the two neighbors.
- Canada’s efforts to reduce reliance on the U.S., which currently takes 75% of Canadian exports.
Carney’s message: “I go there with the expectation of difficult but constructive discussions,” Carney said at his first press conference as prime minister.
He acknowledged talks would include “zigs and zags, ups and downs,” but stressed his background in crisis management makes him well-equipped to handle the challenge.
Political backdrop:
Carney’s Liberals rebounded in the polls to win Monday’s election but fell short of a majority; Carney ruled out a formal alliance with the left-leaning New Democrats. He said he would announce his cabinet the week of May 12 and deliver the government’s policy agenda on May 27 in a speech from the throne, read by King Charles.
Notable quote: Asked if Trump had mentioned making Canada the 51st U.S. state, Carney quipped, “He did not.”
The meeting will mark the first face-to-face encounter between Carney and Trump since Carney entered politics in January — setting the stage for a high-stakes diplomatic showdown.
