WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� U.S. President and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Office on Tuesday and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences in an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between the two countries.
The two kept it civil, but as for Trump鈥檚 calls to make Canada the 51st state, Carney insisted his nation was 鈥渘ot for sale鈥� and Trump shot back, 鈥渢ime will tell.鈥�
Asked by a reporter if there was anything Carney could tell him to lift his tariffs of as much as 25% on Canada, Trump bluntly said: 鈥淣o.鈥�
The U.S. president added for emphasis, 鈥淛ust the way it is.鈥�
Carney acknowledged that no bit of rhetoric on tariffs would be enough to sway Trump, saying that 鈥渢his is a bigger discussion."
鈥淭here are much bigger forces involved,鈥� the Canadian leader continued. 鈥淎nd this will take some time and some discussions. And that's why we're here, to have those discussions."
The meeting between the two leaders showcased the full spectrum of Trump's unique mix of aggression, hospitality and stubbornness.
Shortly before Carney's arrival, Trump insulted Canada by posting on social media that the United States didn't need 鈥淎NYTHING鈥� from its northern neighbor, only to then turn on the charm and praise Carney's election win in person before showing his obstinance on matters of policy substance.
Carney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump, even as he has preserved the calm demeanor of an economist who has led the central banks of both Canada and the United Kingdom.
At times, Carney struggled to interject his views and raised his hand to talk as Trump held forth at length and veered between topics, touching on California Democratic Gov. , Carney鈥檚 predecessor, , and teasing a 鈥済reat鈥� upcoming announcement that's 鈥渘ot necessarily on trade.鈥�
Trump offended Canada's sense of pride and friendship by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods. The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney鈥檚 Liberal Party to score last month as the trade war and have outraged voters.
Trump said the two would not discuss making Canada part of the U.S., even as he insisted the idea would lead to lower taxes for Canadians.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not for sale,鈥� Carney said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be for sale. Ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.鈥�
Trump persisted by saying that the United States did not want to buy autos from Canada, even if the vehicles were also assembled in America. The U.S. leader insisted that the $63 billion trade deficit in goods 鈥� which he inflated to $200 billion 鈥� was a subsidy that needed to come an end.
The meeting never devolved into the outburst that the public saw in Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was berated by the U.S. president and his team for not being sufficiently deferential. Nor did it have the ease of Trump's sit down with the United Kingdom's Prime Minister , who invited Trump for a visit provided by King Charles III.
Carney later described his conversation with Trump as 鈥渨ide ranging鈥� and 鈥渃onstructive,鈥� telling reporters that the prospect is there for positive negotiations but there would be 鈥渮igs and zags.鈥� Carney said he stressed the value that Canadian companies and factories created for U.S. automakers while stressing that it was unfair to assume one meeting could resolve any differences.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have expected white smoke coming out of this meeting,鈥� Carney said after the Tuesday meeting, referencing the signal that a .
Carney said that he privately asked Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st state during their meeting. But when pressed on how Trump responded, the Canadian prime minister said: 鈥淗e鈥檚 the president. He鈥檚 his own person.鈥�
Trump was later asked if he would give Carney the same 鈥済overnor鈥� nickname that he had put on Trudeau. The nickname was a slight meant to imply that Canada's leader would eventually be just one of many U.S. governors.
鈥淎s far as calling him Gov. Carney, no, I haven鈥檛 done that yet, and maybe I won鈥檛,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚 did have a lot of fun with Trudeau. But I think this is, this is a big step. It鈥檚 a good step up for Canada.鈥�
Trump added that the meeting with Carney had been 鈥済reat鈥� and that he thought the ongoing relationship would be 鈥渟trong.鈥�
A senior Canadian government official said the president asked Carney his perspective on a variety of foreign policy issues including Iran, Russia, Ukraine and China. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said Trump was looking forward to the G-7 meeting in Alberta, Canada.
The stakes of the meeting were high and the messages beforehand mixed. Trump told reporters on Monday that he wasn't quite sure why Carney was visiting.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what he wants to see me about,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淏ut I guess he wants to make a deal.鈥�
further stoked doubts about their interest in repairing the relationship with Canada in a Monday interview on Fox Business Network's 鈥淜udlow鈥� show.
Asked if the U.S. could make a deal with Canada, Lutnick called the country a 鈥渟ocialist regime鈥� that has been 鈥渂asically feeding off America." Lutnick said Tuesday's meeting would be 鈥渇ascinating.鈥�
Carney, at a Friday news conference ahead of his trip, said the talks would focus on immediate trade pressures and the broader economic and national security relationships. He said his 鈥済overnment would fight to get the best deal for Canada鈥� and 鈥渢ake all the time necessary鈥� to do so, even as Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and lessen its commitments with the U.S.
Trump has maintained that the U.S. doesn鈥檛 need anything from Canada. He is actively going after a Canadian auto sector built largely by U.S. companies, saying, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e stopping work in Mexico, and they鈥檙e stopping work in Canada, and they鈥檙e all moving here.鈥� He also said the U.S. doesn鈥檛 need Canada鈥檚 energy 鈥� though nearly one-fourth of the oil that the U.S. consumes daily comes from the province of Alberta.
The president has also disparaged Canada's military commitments despite a partnership that ranges from the beaches of Normandy in World War II to remote stretches of Afghanistan. He said on Tuesday with Carney that the U.S. would continue to provide national security support to Canada.
Trump has imposed and tariffs on other products outside the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in some cases ostensibly to address relatively low volumes of fentanyl intercepted at the northern border. That has jeopardized a closely entwined trade relationship as Canada sees an increasing need to build relations with the European Union and other nations.
Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.
Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada鈥檚 exports go to the U.S.
Rob Gillies And Josh Boak, The Associated Press
