Amicable talks: Carney (left) with Trump at the G7 summit. The Canadian PM is seeking to limit punishing levies on key Canadian industries. — AP
TORONTO: Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada and the United States are aiming to strike a trade deal within a month, a goal set during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven summit.
“We agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days,” Carney said in a post on X on Monday afternoon.
Trump told reporters that he and Carney still have differences over policy but that trade deal was “achievable” in the coming weeks.
The US president directed his team to make the best possible deal, as quickly as possible, according to a White House official.
“I think we have different concepts. I have a tariff concept,” Trump said while standing beside Carney on Monday morning. Mark has a different concept, which is something that some people like, but we’re going to see if we can get to the bottom of it today.”
While Trump said he favoured tariffs because they were “simple” and “easy,” he indicated a willingness to hear out the proposal from Carney, who is seeking to limit punishing levies on key Canadian industries, including steel, aluminium and autos.
“I think Mark has a more complex idea, but also very good,” Trump said.
“So we’re going to look at both, and we’re going to see what we’re going to come out with something.”
The two leaders spoke one-on-one for about 30 minutes. After briefly taking questions from reporters, the meeting continued with other officials from both countries for a further half-hour.
They also discussed issues including critical minerals, border security, and possible areas of cooperation on defence, according to a statement from Carney’s office.
Carney’s position remains that all of Trump’s new tariffs on Canadian imports should be lifted as part of a trade deal, said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States.
But both she and Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s cabinet minister responsible for US trade, said it was a positive meeting and they expect trade talks to accelerate coming out of it.
The leaders of some of the world’s richest countries are facing a tariff barrage from Trump that threatens to damage their economies, as well as stark differences over how to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, and handle an escalating fight between Israel and Iran that threatens to further destabilise the Middle East.
The US president acknowledged trade would loom large on the agenda, as other world leaders push to secure tariff agreements to lower the higher duties Trump has threatened to impose in July.
In recent weeks, Trump appeared to downplay the ongoing negotiations with trading partners, suggesting that if he does not secure suitable deals, then he will unilaterally impose tariff rates.
Still, on Monday, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an agreement to lower some US tariffs and raise British quotas on certain US agricultural products.
Asked if a deal could be struck with Canada in the coming days or weeks, Trump responded affirmatively.
The neighbours have exchanged proposals on paper with the most recent discussions focused on trade rules for steel and aluminum, according to people familiar with the talks.
If Canada and the United States fail to strike an agreement, Carney has held out the threat of retaliation after he decided not to increase counter-tariffs on US goods after Trump hiked the import tax on steel and aluminium to 50%.
In addition to the metals tariffs, Trump has also placed levies on foreign-made vehicles and 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico that do not comply with the North American free trade accord.
And the US president has threatened import taxes on other significant Canadian exports, such as lumber and copper.
Trump also used the opening meeting to complain that the group no longer included Russia, and indicated a willingness to incorporate China into the economic forum.
“I think you wouldn’t have a war right now if you had Russia in,” Trump said.
The president has long criticised former US President Barack Obama for the decision to expel Russia from the then Group of Eight after Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014.
Asked if he was open to China, the world’s second-largest economy, joining talks with the group, Trump said it was “not a bad idea”. — Bloomberg
