Carney to meet with Canada’s premiers Friday as U.S. trade war continues

Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting a meeting with Canada’s premiers on Friday.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed details of the meeting.

Audrey Champoux, Carney’s lead press secretary, says the prime minister has been clear that top priorities for his government include defending Canadians in the face of unjustified trade actions by the U.S., supporting workers and strengthening the economy.

“He committed during his leadership campaign that he would work with the premiers to do so and would convene a first ministers meeting at the earliest opportunity, which has now been scheduled for this coming Friday,” Champoux said in a statement.

“This meeting will be a chance for all premiers and Prime Minister Carney to discuss the work ahead, including how they will work collaboratively to create one Canadian economy, instead of 13.”

2:19 Carney pushes to build Canada’s ties with European allies

The meeting comes as Carney is widely expected to call an election within just days or weeks.

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Former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s final meetings with premiers, which took place before Carney was sworn in on March 14, focused on U.S. tariffs.

Carney met with the prime minister’s advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations and a cabinet committee on Wednesday.

His office said after the meeting the discussion focused on shoring up Canada’s economy against U.S. tariffs, including those set to be imposed starting April 2, and Canada’s ongoing response to them, including supports for Canadian businesses and workers.

“The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of engaging with U.S. counterparts on the basis of mutual respect,” a readout from the meeting said. “He also highlighted Canada’s strategic imperative to fortify Arctic security, to create trading relationships with new partners, and to build the strongest economy in the G7.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war escalated last week as the U.S. imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports entering the country, prompting Canada to expand its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st state.

“We’re ready to engage with the U.S. on a comprehensive negotiation — when Canada is shown respect as a sovereign nation,” Carney wrote on social media Wednesday.

1:52 Carney says Trump’s 51st state threats ‘need to stop’ before U.S.-Canada trade talks resume

In his first press conference as prime minister last week, Carney said his government will concentrate on growing the economy, making life more affordable and making the country more secure.

“One of the top issues, of course, is the crisis with respect to the United States, and the opportunity with respect to trade diversification,” he said.

Carney, who has not yet spoken with Trump, said keeping together the core team of ministers who have been dealing with Trump’s tariff threats was very important.

Carney was in Iqaluit Tuesday in a bid to reassert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. It was the final stop on a whirlwind trip to France and the U.K., where he pushed for closer trade and security ties with Europe.

Carney is just days into the job after winning the Liberal leadership in a landslide on March 9.

— With files from Kyle Duggan and Sarah Ritchie, and Global News