Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed President Donald Trump on Tuesday that his nation won’t ever be on the market, shutting down the U.S. president’s repeated calls to make Canada the 51st state.
“There are some locations which are by no means on the market,” Carney stated within the Oval Workplace.
Canada is “not on the market” and “will not be on the market ever,” the prime minister stated.
Trump replied: “By no means say by no means.”
The change adopted principally cordial preliminary remarks between Trump and Carney, and each leaders saved a well mannered disposition whereas reiterating their positions.
Shortly earlier than Carney’s arrival on the White Home, Trump sharply questioned america’ commerce relationship with Canada.
Trump stated on Reality Social that he was trying ahead to assembly and dealing with Carney, however that he “can’t perceive” why the U.S. is “subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion {Dollars} a yr, along with giving them FREE Navy Safety, and lots of different issues?”
Trump has lengthy complained about U.S. commerce deficits with its buying and selling companions, and he has beforehand lobbed related claims in opposition to Canada. A Trump official instructed CNN in January that Trump’s $200 billion declare was principally based mostly on U.S. protection spending that Canada advantages from, with the rest coming from the commerce deficit with Canada.
America’s commerce deficit with Canada was $63.3 billion final yr, with greater than $400 billion price of Canadian items imported to the U.S., based on the workplace of the U.S. Commerce Consultant.
“We do not want their Automobiles, we do not want their Power, we do not want their Lumber, we do not want ANYTHING they’ve, apart from their friendship, which hopefully we’ll at all times preserve,” Trump wrote.
“They, then again, want EVERYTHING from us! The Prime Minister might be arriving shortly and that might be, most definitely, my solely query of consequence,” Trump wrote.
The unfriendly welcome for Carney got here someday after Trump downplayed expectations for the assembly.
“He is coming to see me. I am unsure what he needs to see me about, however I suppose he needs to make a deal. Everyone does,” Trump stated Monday in response to a query about Carney’s go to.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick painted Canada as little greater than an financial leech on america.
“They’ve been mainly feeding off of us for many years upon many years upon many years,” Lutnick stated in a Fox Enterprise interview, the day earlier than Carney’s go to. “They’ve their socialist regime and it is mainly feeding off of America.”
Final yr, Canada traded with america greater than some other nation besides Mexico, with whole items commerce totaling roughly $762 billion, based on USTR.
However the commerce relationship has faltered as Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Canadian items.
Canadian exports to america dropped 6.6% in March, whereas its exports to different nations shot up practically 25%, Statistics Canada stated Tuesday.
Trump’s tariffs, coupled with his expansionist requires America to soak up Canada as a state and his common insults and accusations, have upended Canadian politics.
Carney’s Liberal Occasion gained sufficient seats final week in parliament to kind the following authorities, after months of trailing behind conservatives in polls. Three months into Trump’s time period, the Canadian election was seen as a rejection of Trump and surge in Canadian delight.
Bruce Heyman, the previous U.S. ambassador to Canada, instructed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” Tuesday that the assembly holds excessive stakes for each Carney and Trump, who has promised that he can negotiate advantageous commerce offers with particular person nations.
That is growing information. Please test again for updates.
