Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, broke with tradition by visiting Europe rather than the United States for his first foreign trip as the country’s leader, with his warm welcome in France and the UK standing in stark contrast to his country’s fracturing relationship with its southern neighbour.
Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled Tuesday he is in no rush to speak to his U.S. counterpart about the ongoing trade war between the two countries, saying a call will come at the “appropriate time.” Speaking to reporters in Iqaluit after returning from a two-day trip abroad, Carney said he’s not consumed by what he diplomatically called Trump’s “initiatives,” or near-daily trade threats, saying his main focus is building up the Canadian economy so that it’s more resilient to global economic challenges, including the American protectionist push.
Carney said Trump’s tariff action has “called into the question the validity” of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and there’s a need for a larger conversation with the Americans about resetting the entire bilateral relationship, something that will only happen when the time is right.