ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Prime Minister Mark Carney was caught on a hot microphone Tuesday at the G7 summit in France, while pitching Canada’s new EV deal with China to U.S. President Donald Trump. The brief exchange occurred as Carney approached Trump for a sideline conversation..In the recording, Carney can be heard telling Trump that Chinese electric vehicles would account for “less than 3% of our product” before referencing “49,000 cars.”Carney then appeared to make a cutting motion with his hands while saying “capped,” before adding: “I thought you’d actually like that.”The comments refer to Canada’s newly announced agreement with China allowing the importation of up to 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles at a reduced tariff rate.The arrangement would impose a hard cap of 49,000 vehicles, which the prime minister argued would represent less than 3% of the Canadian vehicle market. The exchange is likely to draw attention given longstanding U.S. concerns over subsidized Chinese manufacturing having an effect on North American automakers, once it enters the market in Canada. Trump has repeatedly criticized Western countries that permit Chinese vehicle imports and has pushed allies to adopt tougher trade measures against Beijing.The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, where leaders are discussing trade, security, artificial intelligence and ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. Trump’s response to the remarks remains unclear.
