Canada–US trade talks: Carney says White House will lead decisions after midterm results

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the White House will keep control of US trade decisions. Mark Carney spoke on Tuesday in Montreal after US midterm election results. Mark Carney said Canada still needed to deal mainly with President Donald Trump’s team. Democrats won big, but Mark Carney said US legislators were not the main decision-makers.

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Canada faced a hard choice after the Democratic victories, Mark Carney indicated. Canada could take a deal that cut some tariffs but kept others. Canada could also wait for wider free trade as Congress prepared challenges. US tariffs on Canadian goods became a midterm issue, with Democrats linking them to price rises.

US tariffs on Canadian goods and trade talks

"What is clear is that the people who decide on trade agreements are the executive in the United States over the next two or three years,\" Mark Carney told reporters in Montreal. \"The President, the executive and Americans, not necessarily legislators.\" Mark Carney spoke while responding to Quebec’s plan to contact US officials. Those contacts included governors and senators.

Mark Carney said Canada suspended trade negotiations in August. Mark Carney said the pause followed what Mark Carney called unacceptable US demands. Mark Carney linked those demands to Canadian sovereignty and cultural protections. President Donald Trump later imposed 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods. Canada then responded with retaliatory measures.

Mark Carney said talks later moved past disputes over French-language protections and cultural programming. Those issues had helped stall an agreement in August, Mark Carney said. Still, Mark Carney said more issues stayed open with Washington. \"There are still some tough issues to resolve with the Americans in this negotiation,\" Carney said.

Democratic victories and US tariffs on Canadian goods

Democrats said they would challenge President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Mark Carney welcomed those efforts on Friday to repeal the tariffs. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden made repeal a priority, according to the report. However, President Donald Trump could veto any legislation. Mark Carney did not say if Canada changed its negotiating approach.

Mark Carney stressed the need for one clear channel in talks. \"In a negotiation, its always a good idea to have one negotiator. And that is the governments responsibility,\" Carney said. Mark Carney said Canada would keep focusing on the US executive. Mark Carney suggested that approach mattered despite shifting US politics.

Trump talks, summits, and US tariffs on Canadian goods

Mark Carney said Mark Carney spoke with President Donald Trump over the weekend. Mark Carney said a meeting could happen at upcoming summits. The leaders communicated often, the report said. \"Its good to sit down, but its not absolutely necessary,\" Carney said. Mark Carney gave no timetable for a final agreement.

President Donald Trump said before the midterms that the countries were very close to a deal. Mark Carney said Washington stepped back from some demands, according to the report. Those points included Canada’s culture and French-language protections. Mark Carney also referred to Canada’s ability to negotiate other trade agreements.

Stellantis dispute and US tariffs on Canadian goods

Mark Carney accused Stellantis of betraying Canadian workers. The criticism followed a plan to sell an idled Brampton, Ontario, plant to Roshel. Roshel makes armoured vehicles, the report said. Stellantis also shifted planned Jeep Compass production to Illinois. The change came as President Donald Trump pushed automakers to move production.

Mark Carney had also taken a wider stance on economic pressure earlier this year. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Mark Carney warned that great powers were weaponising economic ties. Without naming President Donald Trump, Mark Carney urged middle powers to unite. Mark Carney framed the issue as a response to economic coercion.

APEC meeting, China, and US tariffs on Canadian goods

Mark Carney said Mark Carney will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week. The meeting was set for the APEC summit in Shenzhen, Mark Carney said. Mark Carney said Canada’s economic links with China carried fewer security risks. Mark Carney compared that with the United States wider relationship with Beijing. Mark Carney gave no further details on the agenda.

With inputs from PTI