Carney meets Trump, stresses Canada isn’t for sale
The new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has firmly emphasised that his country is “not for sale” during his first meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The two leaders had cordial interactions in front of the media at the White House on Wednesday (AEST) while discussing tariffs and trade.
Their meeting started with smiles and a handshake despite Trump’s desire to eradicate the US-Canada border, a prospect that has chilled bilateral relations.
Political commentators said Carney’s facial expressions appeared tense and restrained at times, as though he were holding himself back.
The subject of Canada becoming the 51st state of the US quickly came up as the leaders took questions from reporters.
“We’re not going to be discussing that unless somebody wants to discuss it,” Trump said.
“It would really be a wonderful marriage.”
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However, Carney firmly put down the idea.
“It’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale – ever,” he told Trump in the Oval Office.
“Never say never, never say never,” Trump said.
Trump, whose tariff policy has rattled world markets, said he and Carney would discuss “tough points,” an allusion to the president’s belief that the US can do without Canadian products.
“Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada,” he said.
At a solo press conference later, Carney confirmed he had privately asked Trump to stop making statements about Canada as the 51st state.
“Yes. I asked him today,” Carney said, adding, “He’s the president, he’s his own person.”
“I’ve been very clear in public and private. He understands that we’re having a negotiation between sovereign nations.”
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Carney’s Liberal Party won the April 28 election on promises to tackle Trump and create a new bilateral economic and security relationship with the United States.
The meeting could have gone either way, after Trump blasted Canada on social media beforehand.
Shortly before Carney arrived, Trump posted to Truth Social: “I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple TRUTH — Why is America subsidising Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things?
“We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain. They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!”
Trump appeared to be referring to the trade deficit the US has with Canada due mostly to US imports of Canadian oil, although Canada’s merchandise trade surplus was C$102.3 billion ($115.21 billion) in 2024.
Carney, a 60-year-old ex-central banker with no previous political experience, was elected Liberal leader in March to replace Justin Trudeau, who had a poor relationship with Trump.
Canada is the US’s second-largest individual trading partner after Mexico, and the largest export market for US goods.
More than $US760 billion ($1.2 trillion) in goods flowed between the two countries last year.
Ahead of the meeting, the US Commerce Department reported on Tuesday Canada’s goods trade surplus with the US narrowed to a five-month low in March, the month when Trump’s hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminium took effect.
Canadian exports to the US plunged by $US3.7 billion, the second-largest drop on record.
Canadian data showed the drop in US exports was almost compensated by an increase to the rest of the world, as Canadian companies sought new markets.
Trump in March imposed a 25 per cent tariff on all steel and aluminium imports and then slapped another 25 per cent tariff on cars and parts that did not comply with a North American free trade agreement.
Trump showered his counterpart with compliments and radiated warmth at the start of the press conference, saying that “Canada chose a very talented person, a very good person”.
