Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Monday that he has not spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump since trade talks between Canada and the United States were cancelled last week.Speaking from Kuala Lumpur, where he was attending the ASEAN summit, Carney said he remains open to dialogue with Trump “as with any other world leader,” but acknowledged that the negotiations are on hold.The talks were halted after Trump cancelled discussions over an Ontario government anti-tariff television ad that used clips from a 1987 speech by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan. .The ad, funded by Premier Doug Ford’s government, aired in the United States during the World Series and criticized protectionism.Carney said Canada had been making “great progress” on trade before the ad began running, but declined to criticize Ford. “Every Canadian is a stakeholder in these negotiations,” he told reporters.“In any complicated, high-stakes negotiation, you can get unexpected twists and turns, and you have to keep your cool during those situations.”.Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he does not plan to meet with Carney “for a long time,” saying he remains angry about the ad.The president has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canada, though the White House has not released details or an executive order.According to CBC, two sources familiar with the negotiations said American officials had warned Canadian counterparts for months that Ford’s public criticism of Trump was creating tension..Ford has repeatedly called Trump a “tyrant” and vowed not to “let him roll over Ontario.” The premier’s decision to pull American liquor from the LCBO in response to earlier tariffs also irritated U.S. officials.The $75-million ad campaign, which will be pulled Monday, was the final trigger for Trump’s decision to end talks, the sources said. The White House called the ad “misleadingly edited” and “egregious,” while Carney said Canada was prepared to resume discussions when the U.S. is ready..Despite the setback, Carney used his trip to emphasize Canada’s push to diversify trade away from the United States. He met with Petronas Group executives to discuss energy investment and toured CAE’s aviation training centre in Kuala Lumpur.Ottawa and Malaysia are negotiating a new defence co-operation agreement that would expand naval collaboration and training programs.U.S. officials, including National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, said frustration with Canada had “built up over time,” calling the current break in talks a “timeout.” .Trump’s advisers indicated that broader issues, not just Ontario’s ad, were contributing to the chill in relations.While Washington fumes, Carney continues to pitch Canada as a reliable partner in Asia. Speaking to business leaders, he said global trade patterns are shifting.“It’s more expensive to trade with the U.S.—that’s what a tariff does,” he said. “But the United States remains the world’s largest and most dynamic economy, and everyone, very much Canada included, is going to want to be active.”
