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US President Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney held a telephonic conversation on Friday amid soaring tensions over tariffs and Trump’s drive to annex his country’s northern neighbour.
US President Donald Trump and Canada’s PM Mark Carney | File Image/AFP
US President Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney held a telephonic conversation on Friday amid soaring tensions over tariffs and Trump’s drive to annex his country’s northern neighbour.
The crucial round of talks came a day after Carney declared that the era of deep economic, security and military ties between Canada and the United States “is over.” Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister two weeks ago and has called snap elections for April 28.
Usually, a newly elected Canadian leader prioritizes a phone call with the US president shortly after taking office, but Trump and Carney did not speak until today.
Carney heavily criticized Trump’s decision this week to slap steep tariffs on cars.
Trump’s planned 25 per cent levy on vehicle imports to the United States is to come into force next week and could be devastating for a Canadian auto industry that supports an estimated 500,000 jobs.
After Trump’s announcement, Carney paused his election campaign to return to Ottawa for an emergency cabinet meeting to work on tactics in the trade war with the United States.
He said Canada would retaliate against the auto tariffs, calling them “unjustified” and in breach of existing trade deals.
But Carney’s most eye-catching statement was his broader warning that Trump had permanently altered relations between the two North American neighbors.
Trump has repeatedly said since returning to power in January that close NATO ally Canada should become the 51st US state.
“The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over,” Carney said.
Carney warned that he would not participate in substantive trade negotiations with Washington until the president shows Canada “respect,” particularly by ending his repeated annexation threats.
