Toronto/CMEDIA: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney reportedly met U.S. President Donald Trump in person for the first time at the Oval Office on Tuesday for about 30 minutes, in front of the press.
In the meeting, Trump was quite critical towards Canada’s auto, steel and aluminum industry.
Carney asked Trump if there is any possibility of the US to lift tariffs on Canadian goods, Trump replied, “No. It’s just the way it is.”
“I and the Canadian government, and I would say the Canadian auto industry…as a whole, is of the view that Canada, Canadian auto workers, Canadian auto companies,,,all play an important role in enhancing the competitiveness of American auto companies…and look for an arrangement that takes full advantage of it…the very much for the benefit of Canada,” Carney said when asked about what he has to say.
Ahead of Carney’s arrival, Trump criticized Canada in a post on his social media account on Truth Social, insisting the US does not need Canadian cars, energy and lumber and added that his “only question of consequence” will be why America is propping up the Canadian economy and providing “free” military protection.
Reportedly expecting a “difficult” but constructive conversation with Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to make Canada the “51st state,” Carney told Trump that Canada will never be for sale.
Trump asked Carney if he is heading back to Ottawa with any tangible progress on ending the trade war, he said, “We had very comprehensive and tangible discussions. … We did make progress.”
In a post-meeting news conference in Washington, Carney and Trump “agreed to have further conversations in the coming weeks,” and to meet again at the upcoming G7 meeting in Alberta in June.
Carney and Trump are expected to renegotiate their trade agreement, CUSMA, which is slated for review in 2026.
Calling the Carney-Trump meeting a good ‘first step,’ Ontario Premier Doug Ford added that Carney’s White House meeting seemed “very productive” and that Trump appears to prefer the new prime minister over his predecessor.
“I thought (Carney) did really well. It was very productive, he held his own. It’s very obvious that President Trump likes Prime Minister Carney a lot more than he liked (former) prime minister Trudeau,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park following the Washington meeting.
When Carney said that CUSMA, the free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, “is a basis for broader negotiations,” and added, “some things about it are going to have to change.”
Although Trump negotiated during his first term that the U.S. plans to walk away from the deal, he said “No, it’s fine. It’s there. It’s good.”
Before taking reporters’ questions, Carney opened his news conference and thanked Trump for hosting him in Washington and stressed to Trump the two countries work best together.
“Really, today marked the end of the beginning of a process of the United States and Canada redefining that relationship. The question is how we will cooperate in the future,” he said.
