Prime Minister Mark Carney did not suggest that trade discussions with the United States would resume in the near future, despite expressing regret to U.S. President Donald Trump, who abruptly terminated negotiations due to an advertisement campaign. When questioned on Wednesday about the status of his exchanges with Trump and the possibility of restarting negotiations, Carney simply responded, “We’ll see.”
During a recent news conference on his government’s newly proposed budget, Carney confirmed that the talks have not been rekindled. He mentioned his last conversation with Trump occurred last week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, where he offered an apology to the president regarding the TV commercials.
Trump halted trade discussions on October 23 and threatened additional punitive tariffs on Canadian products, attributing the action to an Ontario government-supported campaign featuring negative remarks from former U.S. president Ronald Reagan about tariffs. Despite Ontario Premier Doug Ford withdrawing the ad, the trade negotiations remain at a standstill. Canada is eager to strike a deal to eliminate sector-specific tariffs, particularly on steel and aluminum.
When asked by reporters on Friday if negotiations with Canada could resume, Trump dismissed the possibility while praising Carney’s demeanor as “pleasant.” Trump remarked, “I like him a lot, but you know, what they did was wrong,” while aboard Air Force One.
Carney disclosed on Saturday that he had previewed the ad before it aired and advised Ford against it. Ford, in a conflicting account, stated that Carney had called him multiple times from Asia urging him to pull the TV commercials.
Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, Ford remarked on Monday, “I fully understand the position he’s in. He’s trying to talk to the president, but the president was going to give us a terrible deal.”
Meanwhile, B.C. Premier David Eby revealed the termination of a plan to broadcast ads targeting Trump’s tariffs, citing concerns raised by the federal government. Eby affirmed during a softwood lumber summit that they would collaborate with the federal government when directly addressing American audiences in the future.
Although Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, no executive order has been issued yet, and no specific timeline has been provided.