Donald Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House amid escalating U.S.–Canada trade tensions, according to the Financial Times. While Trump expressed optimism that Carney would “walk away very happy,” he made no concrete concessions on existing tariffs targeting steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos. The meeting aimed to salvage a $1.3 trillion trade relationship, currently strained after Canada’s exports dropped 7.5% in a recent quarter. Trump floated renegotiating separate deals for Canada and Mexico and emphasized his priority is what’s “best for this country.” Carney pledged that Canada plans to invest heavily in the U.S. and signaled both sides directed officials to swiftly reach agreements. They write:
Donald Trump hinted at a breakthrough in trade tensions with Canada at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney but stopped short of offering any firm commitments to the US’s second biggest trading partner.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said he expected Carney to “walk away very happy”.
The two men met at the White House in an effort to mend fractious bilateral relations and rescue a $1.3tn trading relationship that is threatened by a raft of US tariffs. […]
Canada’s economy has suffered as a result, shrinking more than expected in the second quarter. Canadian exports fell 7.5 per cent in the second quarter compared with the first three months of the year due to the tariffs, according to Statistics Canada. […]
But when asked why no deal has been struck, Trump quipped: “Because I want to be a great man too.”
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