Prime Minister Mark Carney has hinted that there are no immediate plans to restart trade discussions with the United States, despite issuing an apology to President Donald Trump for the abrupt termination of negotiations related to an advertising campaign. During a recent news conference on his government’s proposed budget, Carney was asked about the status of his talks with Trump and the possibility of resuming negotiations, to which he responded with a cautious “We’ll see.”
Carney confirmed that the discussions have not been revived and mentioned that his last conversation with Trump occurred the previous week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, where he expressed regret to the president regarding the TV commercials. The dispute arose after Trump halted trade talks on October 23 and threatened increased tariffs on Canadian products, citing a campaign supported by the Ontario government that featured footage of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
Despite Ontario Premier Doug Ford pulling the advertisement, efforts to revive the trade talks have not materialized. Canada remains eager to strike a deal to eliminate sector-specific tariffs, particularly on steel and aluminum imports. When asked about the potential resumption of negotiations with Canada, Trump dismissed the idea but praised Carney as “nice,” while criticizing the ad campaign as “wrong.”
Carney disclosed that he had previewed the advertisement before it aired and advised Ford against it. Ford, however, recalled their conversation differently but acknowledged that Carney had urged him multiple times from Asia to withdraw the TV spots. Ford empathized with Carney’s position, understanding the challenges of dealing with the U.S. president’s trade demands. Meanwhile, British Columbia Premier David Eby announced the termination of plans to air ads targeting Trump’s tariffs, citing concerns raised by the federal government.
While Trump threatened an additional 10% tariff hike on Canadian imports, no executive order has been issued yet, and no specific implementation date has been set.