Trump calls Carney a ‘world-class leader’ as Canada leaves D.C. without a trade deal

Prime Minister Mark Carney left Washington on Tuesday without a trade deal, even after a high‑profile Oval Office meeting with Donald ￰0￱ meeting, which had been billed as a chance to reset relations, ended with smiles, quotes for the cameras, and no relief from the tariffs choking Canadian ￰1￱ called Carney “a world-class leader” and “a tough negotiator,” but the Canadian leader went home ￰2￱ said, “We’ve come a long way over the last few months, actually, in terms of that relationship. I think they’re going to walk away very happy.” Carney, who praised Trump’s role in foreign policy during the meeting, heard the president respond, “We have great love for each ￰3￱ have a natural conflict.” The exchange summed up the odd balance of flattery and tension that has defined their dealings since Trump returned to the White ￰4￱ cracks jokes while Canada fails to get tariff relief Reporters pressed Trump on why Canada still had no deal while the European Union had already reached an ￰5￱ deflected, saying, “Because I want to be a great man, too,” drawing laughter in the ￰6￱ comments were lighthearted, but they left the fundamental question ￰7￱ risked political backlash at home by attending without winning any concessions, as the tariffs remain on Canadian steel, aluminum, autos, copper, and softwood lumber.

Canada’s 25 percent countertariffs on ￰8￱ and aluminum are also still in ￰9￱ White House reception matched what Carney’s office had predicted in advance: a session designed to create progress rather than close an ￰10￱ the domestic cost is ￰11￱ won the April election on promises to face down Trump and protect Canada’s economy from the tariff ￰12￱ later, Canada is still the only member of the G7 that hasn’t secured a deal to ease the ￰13￱ Premier Doug Ford told reporters in Toronto, “We need to hit back ￰14￱ sure don’t sit back and get beat up by a bully every single day. It’s like a kid going in the school yard and getting punched in the face every day.” Ford added, “Maybe Prime Minister Carney knows something I don’t ￰15￱ if that’s the case, he should sit down with the premiers and explain that.” Canada’s United Steelworkers union director Marty Warren issued his own warning, saying, “We need urgent action — not more concessions.

Canada’s softwood lumber industry is on the brink of collapse.” Carney turns to USMCA review while Trump revives old lines Carney has shifted some focus toward the 2026 mandatory review of the United States‑Mexico‑Canada ￰16￱ 85 percent of Canadian exports are tariff‑exempt under the current arrangement, giving him another path to press his ￰17￱ indicated he may consider a bilateral arrangement with Canada, saying, “We’re allowed to do different deals if we want. I want to make whatever the best deal is for this country, and also very much with Canada in mind.” Despite months of friendlier exchanges, Trump has not abandoned his ￰18￱ last week, he again called Canada the “51st state” while speaking to ￰19￱ when Carney tried to praise Trump’s efforts in foreign conflicts, including India and Pakistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Gaza, Trump interrupted him with, “The merger of Canada and the United States?” Carney shot back, “No!

That wasn’t where I was going,” before laughing off the ￰20￱ was not the first time they had confronted the ￰21￱ in May, during their first Oval Office meeting, Carney told Trump bluntly, “Canada is not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.” Trump responded, “Never say never,” but let it ￰22￱ has managed to avoid the outbursts that marked Justin Trudeau’s clashes with Trump during the last ￰23￱ had called the tariffs “very dumb” and accused Trump of siding with Vladimir Putin. Carney, by contrast, has kept steady contact through calls and text messages, keeping tensions from boiling over. Still, with tariffs biting and no breakthrough in Washington, the relationship looks weaker than ￰24￱ closed the meeting by predicting, “I think the people of Canada, they will love us again.” Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program