Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged Wednesday to negotiate a “new economic and security relationship” with the US – an announcement that comes on the same day President Trump paused tariffs for dozens of nations, but not Canada.
“The pause on reciprocal tariffs announced by President Trump is a welcome reprieve for the global economy,” Carney wrote on X, referring to the commander in chief’s 90-day pause on sweeping trade fees.
“As President Trump and I have agreed, the US President and the Canadian Prime Minister will commence negotiations on a new economic and security relationship immediately following the Federal election,” the Liberal Party leader added.
Canada’s federal election is slated to take place on April 28.
Carney is widely expected to keep his post as prime minister as polling shows the Liberal Party will easily maintain control of Parliament.
Carney’s conciliatory statement stands in strark contrast to a more defiant message he had for Trump last month, after the president slapped a 25% tariff on Canadian goods not covered by the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade pact.
“The Prime Minister informed the President that his government will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers and our economy, following the announcement of additional US trade actions on April 2, 2025,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a March 29 press release, following a call between Carney and Trump.
Despite being spared by Trump’s broader reciprocal tariffs, Carney hit the US with a reciprocal 25% tariff on all imported vehicles not covered by the USMCA Agreement.
Trump left tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China in place Wednesday while locking in a 10% tariff rate on most imports and pausing higher retaliatory duties.
“As part of today’s announcement, the President has signalled that the US will engage in bilateral negotiations with a number of other countries,” Carney wrote. “This will likely result in a fundamental restructuring of the global trading system.”
“In that context, Canada must also continue to deepen its relationships with trading partners that share our values, including the free and open exchange of goods, services, and ideas,” the prime minister added, before telling Canadians that “the stakes have never been higher” ahead of the nation’s federal election.
