Canada introduced Friday that Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Washington next week to meet with US President Donald Trump for what’s being billed as a “working visit.”
While an announcement from the prime minister’s workplace says the go to on Tuesday will “focus on shared priorities in a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S.,” Carney is beneath stress at dwelling to negotiate some tariff aid for Canada as sectoral tariffs on autos, metal, aluminum, lumber, and power proceed to chunk.
President Trump’s tariff regime has hit the Canadian economy exhausting, with unemployment hitting 7.1% in August, the very best degree since May 2016, excluding the pandemic interval, in accordance to Canadian authorities information.
Carney received an election in April with a strident message for Canadians, warning that their relationship with America would change dramatically within the coming years.
“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 mentioned in March, shortly after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on automobiles and elements. “It’s clear the US is no longer a reliable partner.”
To that finish, Carney has pursued nearer relations with different Western international locations, courting the UK and France in his first visits overseas as prime minister and collaborating with Australia on new radar methods for the Arctic.
Carney indicated within the months following his election that he requested for and acquired “respect” from Trump, asking that the president drop any suggestion that Canada ought to turn into the “51st state.”
But President Trump not too long ago resurrected the thought in a speech to army leaders on Tuesday when he spoke of his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system that might probably shield each Canada and the US.
“Canada called me a couple of weeks ago. They want to be part of it. To which I said, well, why don’t you just join our country? Become 51, become the 51st state and you get it for free,” Trump mentioned.
Earlier this week, Canada’s prime commerce negotiator Dominic LeBlanc mentioned Canada nonetheless had leverage in any commerce negotiation because the commerce battle was additionally hurting American companies.
“We are confident that the domestic pressure from senators, governors, business leaders, union leaders, in the United States will also create potentially an opportunity for us to come to an agreement with the American administration,” mentioned LeBlanc whereas testifying to a Canadian parliamentary committee.
In addition to sectoral tariffs, Canada, the US and Mexico have began consultations on renewing the commerce settlement negotiated by the primary Trump administration and launched in 2020. It is ready to expire in 2026.
During the Canadian prime minister’s first go to to the US in May, Trump nearly instantly introduced up annexation whereas meeting with Carney within the Oval Office, announcing a union between Canada and the US as “meant to be.”
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney instructed the president. “Never say never,” Trump replied.
The annexation query appeared to subside for a time afterwards. In July, Carney claimed in an interview with NCS’s Christiane Amanpour that Trump is now not serious about annexing Canada. “He admires Canada,” Carney instructed Amanpour. “I think it’s fair to say, maybe for a period of time (he) coveted Canada.”