Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. and Canada will be working in the coming weeks to deliver a “mutually beneficial” trade deal after a conversation with President Donald Trump.
Carney confirmed the chat between the two world leaders in a post on social media Sunday.
“This builds on our recent constructive discussions on the outlines of a mutually beneficial trade deal that would create jobs for our workers, boost affordability for families, and fully respect Canada’s languages, culture, and sovereignty,” Carney said.
“Our teams will now be working in the coming weeks to deliver that outcome.”
While the comments are the latest signal a trade deal could still occur, it also appears to suggest an agreement won’t be reached before the U.S. midterms on Tuesday.
The prime minister’s comments come after he told reporters Wednesday that the federal government was “not at that position right now” in terms of reaching a trade deal.
Asked by reporters Wednesday why he was willing to entertain a deal before the midterms — and whether Canada was being set up to be the “fall guys” by the U.S. administration if it loses — Carney said they’re after the right deal.
Last Monday, Global News reported that the once-stalled talks between the two countries were “moving quickly” at the political level, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
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Canada walked away from talks with the U.S. in August, with Carney saying the U.S. had made a last-minute push for language that would limit Canada’s ability to enter trade deals with other countries, water down French language requirements, and hurt the country’s struggling auto industry.
The break down in talks led to Trump’s previously threatened 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods to take effect, with Canada responding with dollar-for-dollar retaliatory duties.
Trump previously commented on Canada during a campaign rally on Thursday in South Carolina for the Republican senate candidate. He suggested Canada had been “treating us extremely nicely recently,” adding his tariffs on their northern neighbours had the effect of improving relations.
The president has yet to comment Sunday in relation to Carney’s comments.
Asked about Carney’s statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pushed Carney to “get a great deal.”
“It’s time for Mr. Carney to put the big talk in the past and deliver real results,” Poilievre said Sunday at a news conference.
Talks of a potential trade deal also come days before the federal government is set to announce its latest budget on Thursday.
Carney rejected a better deal this one is worse
US trade.. is Canadas’ lifeline.. not EU.Carney wouldn’t reveal the one he turned down. How do Canadians know what he would accept. Carney is one dark PM. to fear. I wonder if he is referring to himself. When we are to be a fraid of the world?
Ali? We want negotiations. But that is done while not under pressure. Step 1 is to have Trump remove his tariffs. Canada will reciprocate. Trump then has to agree not to try to limit who Canada can do business with. then we can get back to negotiating.The French language thing, Trump has already backed down on. – you are unclear what the sticking points are. The rest of us know.
I wonder what deal Carney is doing without transparency. The last one, that he was ready to sign, did not protect our auto industry, and did not remove all the tariffs. It was bad for Canada, even without the sticking points. Saying he is doing well if he reduces the tariffs from 50% to 15% defies the logic that before the negotiations started, the tariff rate was 0.
Carney is the most useless PM Canada has ever had. Conflicts of interest, his hate for Canadians standard of living, nepotism , all deals focused on Brookfields and his personal wealth. People need to realize what a liar Carney and the Liberals are. Just disgusting!
I doubt trumps cares right now about Canada. He has the mid terms to deal with. USA will come back when it is good for them. Meanwhile, Canada continues to bleed job and have minimal economic growth. Basically stagnant or slightly negative.
Ben. Your assessment is deranged. Carney promised a deal. He hasn’t even been participating in discussions. As he himself said: we’re either at the table or we’re on the menu. Canadians want negotiations… not just obstinacy. Carney has been unclear why he’s not at the table and is unclear what the sticking points are. The absolute lack of transparency is a loss of trust with his masters: the voters. Your unquestioning allegiance discredIts you, every time
But yesterday there was not work. But tomorrow it will stop. Carney is not telling Canadians what is going on. He’s also clearly playing games waiting upon midterm results. This is not good faith negotiation. He’a actively harming Canada
@Ben. We do need a deal with the USA. It is over 65% of our exports. Not sure what you mean by Conservatives or others have gone silent on this. Canada required trade with the USA to be prosperous.
Canada will lose sovereignty if Carney gets his wish and becomes an “associate” member of the EU. That is the deal. Luckily most EU members reject Canada and Carneys wet dream
Carney might be schizophrenic, it seems.
@Ben. The job losses are stacking up. 100,000 in August/September and October not looking great either Canada is weak because of a decade of Trudeau/Carney policies.
The mid terms won’t change anything. Trump is president for another 2 years. Perhaps Carney wants to wait till Trump is gone. A bad choice. Does Carney think that if the GOP wins in 2028 that they will reverse everything Trump did. Probably not Carney is totally floundering after failing to keep his original election promise.
Some conservatives kept insisting that Canada desperately needed a deal with the United States. Now they are silent, talking about how Carney promised a trade deal (he didn’t) yet again. But reasonable, patriotic Canadians understand that the goal should be to negotiate a deal that actually serves Canada’s interests. We shouldn’t negotiate out of desperation or dependency. We should pursue stronger relationships with Europe and the rest of the world, diversify our partnerships, and put Canada’s sovereignty and long term prosperity first.
Carney promised a trade deal by July 31, 2025. He didn’t deliver at that time.
Broken Promises Carney is my true dictator and so proud that he out Prime Minister. Every speech he makes around the world resonates for all Canadians and the is no one better to dictate to us in how to get ahead in life as our cost of living is better while it goes higher and higher.
The new budget will tell us how they dictate to us the great job all the broken promises have granted us this great opportunity to live in Canada.
Maybe they will allow us to get another welfare check to help us out.
Keep up the great work Mark and you will always have my vote.
Carney is pretending he is working on it because he knows the U.S. election is not going to go his way.
The results will be in court for months and the Democrats have already been caught cheating and have openly said they will not allow oversight by the Fed’s.
The Lefty news is already warning that cheating will happen, with PBS warning it is normal for a candidate to have a huge lead late at night but the Democrat will come back in win in the early morning hours.
CNN is warning that some polling stations may be closed because workers lost the keys, and if the machine switches your vote, you made a mistake.
100,000 job losses in Canada Aug and Sept. Great work Carney.
Carney is the man for this job. He is the only person who can negotiate with dictator Trump and put conservatives back in their box.
Trump is desperate!! No deal & boot the Idiot out in the midterms!! Liar, felon & rapist!
Glad Carney is working on a deal that doesn’t sell Canada out.