New Canadian leader says Trump will want trade talks as Americans suffer
from trade war
[March 22, 2025]
By ROB GILLIES
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday U.S.
President Donald Trump will ultimately respect Canada’s sovereignty and
be ready for comprehensive trade talks because Americans are going to
suffer from Trump's trade war.
Carney said talks with Trump will not happen “until we get the respect
we deserve as a sovereign nation. By the way, this is not a high bar.”
Trump kept up his near-daily attacks on Canada on Friday, repeating that
the country should be the 51st state and that the U.S. keeps Canada
“afloat.”
“When I say they should be a state, I mean that,” the American president
said.
Carney met with Canada’s provincial leaders at the Canadian War Museum
in Ottawa, where he announced relief packages for workers and businesses
hurt by the trade war and announced moves to expedite resource projects.
Carney, sworn in last Friday, still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump.
Trump mocked Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, by calling him
Governor Trudeau, but he has not yet mentioned Carney’s name.
The new prime minister said he wants a comprehensive discussion on trade
and security with the Americans and not a one-off tariff discussion.
“In the end, Americans are going to lose from American trade action and
that’s one of the reasons I am confident that there will be that
discussion with the appropriate amount of respect and the breadth,"
Carney said. “I am ready for it anytime they are ready.”
Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening
sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products as well as all of America's
trading partners on April 2.
Carney became Prime Minister after winning a Liberal Party leadership
race triggered by Trudeau’s decision to step down earlier this year.
He's expected to trigger the process for early parliamentary elections
this Sunday, with a vote expected before April 28.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a press conference following the
First Ministers Meeting at the National War Museum on Friday, March
21, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
The governing Liberals appeared poised for a historic election
defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war and upended
Canadian politics.
The almost daily attacks on Canada’s sovereignty have infuriated
Canadians, who are canceling trips south of the border and avoiding
buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian
nationalism has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
Carney said the premiers of Canada's provinces had agreed to work on
a plan to develop a national trade and energy corridor in an effort
to diversify trade.
He said that could mean a oil pipeline from oil-rich Alberta to
Eastern Canada. Quebec has previously opposed a pipeline, but
Premier François Legault now says opinions are changing because of
Trump's threats. Carney said Quebec uses about 350,000 barrels of
oil daily and 70% of that comes from the U.S.
“That is not a good idea for us at all. So there is an opportunity
to put a pipeline there but we need social acceptance. We need a
partnership with indigenous people as well," Carney said.
He said the federal government would speed up projects by
recognizing provincial assessments. Canadian leaders also talked
about about moving quickly to eliminate trade barriers between
provinces and with the federal government.
Carney also said Ottawa is also going to waive the one-week waiting
period to get employment insurance for people whose jobs are cut
because of the tariffs, and temporarily allow Canadian businesses to
defer income tax and sales tax payments to help boost their
liquidity.
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