Carney talks Canada-U.S. trade options with Trump

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he had a “good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump on the future of trade between the two countries.

Carney said in a social media post Sunday the conversation builds on previous ones they have had about what a mutually beneficial trade deal looks like.

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He said such a deal would create jobs for workers, improve affordability for families, and respect Canada’s languages, culture and sovereignty.

“Our teams will now be working in the coming weeks to deliver that outcome,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said the conversation between the leaders took place on Saturday.

The conversation comes ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, where the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute has emerged as a key issue among some candidates.

At a press conference Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre encouraged Carney to “get a great deal.” He said everyday Canadians can’t afford to wait for a trade deal with the U.S.

“The prime minister promised in the last election he would get an even better deal than we had before. He’s broken that promise so far,” he said.

“It’s time for Mr. Carney to put the big talk in the past and deliver real results.”

Tuesday’s midterm election brings high stakes for both parties. A Democrat wave could see a Congressional check to Trump’s unprecedented use of executive powers during the remainder of his tenure.

Polling shows Democrats are favoured to take the House, where a net gain of three seats would give them a majority. The future of the Senate is less clear, where some polling shows a Democrat net gain of four seats is within reach.

While Trump’s first term rattled the bilateral relationship between Canada and the U.S., his second term blew it up. Canada was an early target of Trump’s tariffs and Canadians were shocked and appalled by the president’s repeated threats of annexation.

Tensions escalated further in August when trade talks collapsed. Trump slapped an array of Canadian goods with 50 per cent tariffs, banned imports of other Canadian products and signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America.

The trade war is deeply unpopular in states like Michigan and Maine, where tight Senate races ultimately could decide which party gains congressional control.

But even if Democrats emerge triumphant next week, or win the White House in 2028, it’s not clear that Trump’s tariff wall would suddenly drop.

Carney said last week that Canada was not yet in a position to reach a trade deal with Trump’s administration.

On his way into the weekly Liberal national caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, Carney said on Wednesday that Ottawa was prepared to make a deal only when it suits Canadians’ interests.

— with files from Fakiha Baig and Kelly Geraldine Malone

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