Prime Minister Mark Carney will head to Washington next week for his first face‑to‑face talks with President Donald Trump, hoping to cool an escalating tariff war and create a new path for Canada‑US trade relations.Carney said Canadians “elected a new government to stand up to President Trump and to build a strong economy.” Speaking to reporters on Friday, Carney warned the era of deepening economic integration is “over,” adding that both countries must decide how they will work together in the future.Carney confirmed the two leaders spoke by phone on Tuesday and agreed to meet on next Tuesday at the White House. Carney said the agenda splits into two tracks: immediate trade pressures, including Trump’s tariffs on Canadian steel, agriculture, and autos, and a wider review of economic and security ties between “our two sovereign nations.”.“My government will fight to get the best deal for Canada,” said Carney. “We will take all the time necessary to do so. In parallel, we will strengthen our relationships with reliable trading partners and allies. Canada has what the world needs.”Asked what he hopes to achieve, Carny said the White House talks must tackle both the tariff dispute and the broader relationship. “It’s important to get engaged immediately,” Carney told reporters. He described next week’s session as “quite a comprehensive set of meetings.”.Carney rejected suggestions that Trump pressed him to consider making Canada the fifty-first state. “He did not,” said Carney.Pressed on whether the Trump administration respects Canada, Carney replied that Canadians have made their views clear. “What the Canadian people clearly have stated, virtually without exception, is this will never, ever happen,” said Carney.At his press conference, Carney also said he will not be forming any sort of coalition with the NDP, and he would call a byelection for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre as soon as he decides where to run.
