US President Donald Trump says he had an “extremely productive” first call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, amid an ongoing trade war between the two neighbours.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said that the two will meet “immediately” after Canada’s upcoming elections on 28 April to discuss “politics, business, and all other factors”.
Carney, currently in the midst of an election campaign, described the call as “very constructive”, adding that he told the president that Canada “will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers”.
Trump’s planned 25% tariffs on vehicle imports is to come into effect on 2 April, which could be devastating for the Canadian car industry.
Historically, Canadian leaders prioritise an early call with their US counterpart soon after becoming prime minister.
The call between Carney and Trump, however, is the first since the new prime minister took office on 14 March.
The Canadian prime minister’s office said the two leaders agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election.
“In the interim, the leaders agreed that conversations between the Minister of International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Dominic LeBlanc, and the United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, will intensify to address immediate concerns,” the statement said.
The US president’s tone on Friday stood in contrast to his past remarks about Canada, particularly his frequent jabs at Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, whom he mockingly referred to as “Governor Trudeau”.
In addition to imposing tariffs, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state—an idea that has sparked widespread backlash among Canadians.
On Thursday evening, Carney said the US was “no longer a reliable trading partner” and that Canada’s old relationship with the US “is over”.
Carney, who leads Canada’s Liberal Party, has vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs with “maximum impact” on the US.
On Friday, he conveyed the message once again to Trump, according to the statement from his office.
“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 U.S. trade actions on April 2, 2025,” it said.
The US president’s proposed auto tariffs could impact as many as 500,000 jobs in the Canadian auto industry.
The US has already partially imposed a blanket 25% tariff on Canadian goods, along with a 25% duty on all aluminium and steel imports. Canada has so far retaliated with about C$60bn ($42bn; £32bn) of tariffs on US goods.
The new car tariffs will come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day, the White House said. Taxes on parts are set to start in May or later.
Worsening US-Canadian relations have become a key electoral issue in Canada’s general election.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservatives, the main opposition party, has called the tariffs “unjustified and unprovoked”, while left-wing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh referred to them as a “betrayal”.
Trump has also warned Canada against working with the European Union against US reciprocal tariffs that he is expected to announce soon.
Any effort to do so, he said, would be met with “large scale tariffs, far larger than currently planned”.
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2025-03-28 17:28:21
