Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted at the unlikelihood of trade discussions with the United States being reignited soon, despite offering an apology to U.S. President Donald Trump following the abrupt termination of negotiations over an advertisement campaign. When questioned about the current status of his talks with Trump and the potential revival of negotiations, Carney simply responded, “We’ll see.”
During a recent news conference addressing his government’s newly presented budget, Carney noted that discussions have not resumed. He mentioned his last conversation with Trump occurred last week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, where he expressed regret to the president regarding the TV advertisements.
Trump ceased trade discussions on October 23 and threatened further punitive tariffs on Canadian products, attributing this action to a campaign supported by the Ontario government that included footage of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan speaking unfavorably about tariffs. Despite the removal of the ad by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, talks remain stalled. Canada is particularly eager to strike a deal to eliminate sector-specific tariffs, especially those impacting steel and aluminum.
When asked by reporters if negotiations could recommence, Trump responded negatively, although he praised Carney as “nice.” Trump stated, “I like him a lot, but you know, what they did was wrong,” while aboard Air Force One.
In a subsequent statement, Carney revealed that he had previewed the ad before airing and advised Ford against it. Ford, however, indicated a different recollection of their conversation, mentioning that Carney had contacted him multiple times from Asia requesting the ads be pulled.
Commenting on the situation, Ford acknowledged Carney’s challenging position, stating, “He’s trying to talk to the president, but the president was going to give us a terrible deal.”
B.C. Premier David Eby declared the termination of a plan to broadcast advertisements targeting Trump’s tariffs, citing concerns raised by the federal government. Eby expressed a commitment to collaborate with the federal government when engaging directly with Americans in the future.
Although Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, he has yet to issue an executive order or specify a timeline for its implementation.
