US President Donald Trump says he had an “extremely productive” first call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, amid an ongoing tariff war between the two North American allies.
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”.
Trump’s planned 25 percent tariff on vehicle imports to the US is to come into force next week and could be devastating for the Canadian car industry.
On Thursday evening, Carney said the US was “no longer a reliable trading partner” and that the US-Canada relationship will forever be “fundamentally different” going forward.
The new prime minister, who is in the midst of his electoral campaign, is yet to comment on the call with Trump.
Historically, Canadian leaders have made a call to their US counterpart a priority soon after becoming Prime Minister.
The call between Carney and Trump, however, is the first since Carney took office on 14 February.
In addition to starting a trade war with Canada over the tariffs, Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st US state – a position that has left many Canadians angry.
Carney, who leads Canada’s Liberal Party, added that the vital Canada-US Automotive Products Agreement signed in 1965 is “finished” as a result of the tariffs.
He also vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs with “maximum impact” on the US.
By BBC News
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