OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Washington on Tuesday for his first official meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, marking their first in-person encounter since Carney became prime minister on March 14.
The high-stakes meeting comes just days after Carney’s minority government win in Monday’s federal election and ahead of him naming his new cabinet.
A key item on the agenda will be Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada, and the leaders are expected to explore the possibility of negotiating a new trade and security agreement between the two countries.
Speaking at his first press conference since the election, Carney remained tight-lipped when asked if he would demand the removal of U.S. tariffs as a precondition for talks, saying only that he would not negotiate in public.
When asked whether he feared being “ambushed” by Trump officials — as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly was in a prior White House meeting — Carney said he was ready.
“I go there with the expectation of … difficult but constructive discussions,” Carney said. “You go to these meetings well-prepared, understanding the objectives of your counterpart, and always acting in the best interests of Canada.”
The White House has cited the cross-border movement of fentanyl as justification for tariffs on Canadian goods, despite limited evidence of the drug entering the U.S. from the northern border. Carney called the rationale for such tariffs “unclear.”
“There will be difficult discussions,” he said in French. “We don’t understand why the fentanyl-related tariffs are still in place.”
Trump has also used the U.S. trade deficit with Canada — reported at US$63.3 billion in 2024, a slight decrease from 2023 — to justify his protectionist policies. The president has falsely claimed the U.S. “subsidizes” Canada by $200 billion annually, a notion rejected by economists.
During the election, Carney campaigned as the candidate best equipped to handle Trump’s aggressive trade stance and his past threats to annex Canada. While Trump softened his tone during the campaign — recently referring to Carney as a “very nice gentleman” — he returned to annexation talk in the final days, calling Canada a potential “cherished” U.S. state.
Carney dismissed those remarks, saying the topic did not come up during their most recent call and that Canadians are united in their opposition to any form of annexation.
“The Canadian people clearly have stated, virtually without exception, this will never, ever happen,” he said.
Carney emphasized the importance of focusing on pragmatic cooperation as talks resume.
“We’re meeting as heads of government to discuss our partnership,” Carney said. “I’m not pretending those discussions will be easy. There will be zigs and zags, ups and downs — but I will fight for the best deal for Canada and only accept what’s in Canada’s best interest.”
Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, frequently clashed with Trump during his final days in office, as Trump imposed tariffs and floated the idea of annexing Canada.
This article was originally published by The Canadian Press on May 2, 2025.
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