Canadian PM says talks with Trump constructive despite no tariffs lifting

Ottawa, May 7 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he had wide-ranging and constructive discussions with US President Donald Trump in the White House, although the two leaders disagreed on tariffs lifting and the “51st state,” according to the live broadcast of CBC News.

Giving a post-meeting news conference in Washington, Carney said that he and Trump agreed to have further conversations in the coming weeks and meet again in person at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Xinhua news agency reported.

Carney said he told Trump it’s “not useful” to repeat the 51st state idea, adding that Trump is the president who is going to say whatever he wants. “He understands that we are having a negotiation between sovereign nations,” said Carney.

Responding to the question if he is heading back to Ottawa with any tangible progress on ending the trade war, Carney said they had some very specific things to follow up on and build out from that.

“These are the discussions you have when you’re looking to find solutions,” he said.

While Trump made it clear that the tariffs, especially those on the auto sector, would stay in place, Carney said, “We’ll see.”

Canadian workers and suppliers in auto plant towns are worried that the longer the tariff dispute goes on, the less likely those finished cars are to be sold, reported CBC News.

“If he (Trump) actually achieves shutting down production in Canada and Mexico, it doesn’t mean he’s going to get new production in the US,” Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, was quoted as saying.

Volpe said he hopes Carney will announce further meetings with Trump: “I want to know that we’ve set a date for the next game.”

Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social account minutes before Carney’s arrival at the White House, denigrating the importance of Canada to the US economy.

“We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have. They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!” wrote Trump.

Speaking to the media in the Oval Office earlier on Tuesday, Trump said the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a “transitional step” that “terminates fairly shortly,” making no commitment to its renewal.

Carney said the agreement is the “basis for a broader negotiation,” adding that parts of it may change and other elements might be added during a potential renegotiation.

Trump repeated annexation threats toward Canada, which he said would be a “wonderful marriage” and called the border between the two countries “artificial” again.

The president said it would be best for Canada as the “51st state” of the United States with a lot of advantage, tax cut and free military.

While Carney jumped in to say that Canada is “never for sale,” Trump quipped, “Never say never, … time will tell.”

The United States has put in place a 25 per cent tariff on all goods, and 10 per cent on energy and potash that isn’t covered by USMCA. There’s another 25 per cent tax on Canadian steel and aluminum, and 25 per cent on automobiles that aren’t covered by USMCA.

In response, Canada put in place its own 25 per cent tariffs on non-USMCA compliant vehicles, and additional fees on nearly 60 billion Canadian dollars ($43.6 billion) in steel and aluminum products, as well as consumer goods including juice, spirits, computers, apparel and cosmetics.

With the implementation of the new tariffs in March, Canada’s trade with the US fell in March, said Statistics Canada on Tuesday.

Carney traveled to Washington on Monday, his first foreign trip since winning a minority Liberal government in last week’s federal election. The prime minister said the trip would be the first in a series of discussions on tariffs, military cooperation and other issues with the United States.

–IANS

int/rs