Prime Minister Mark Carney has temporarily suspended his federal election campaign for the third time in less than a month to focus on Canada’s response to the growing economic fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war.
Carney, who continues to serve in a caretaker capacity while campaigning as leader of the Liberal Party, announced he will return to Ottawa on Friday to chair a meeting of the cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations and consult national security and trade officials.
This urgent response follows Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on his newly implemented “reciprocal” tariffs for dozens of countries. However, Canada remains excluded from this reprieve, continuing to face three active sets of punitive U.S. tariffs: a 25% duty on non-CUSMA-compliant exports, a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, and another 25% targeting Canada’s auto sector.
Speaking at a campaign stop in Brampton, Ontario, Carney said the moment requires leadership, not partisanship.
“Trump’s halt is a welcome reprieve for the global economy,” Carney said. “But the impacts of other tariffs—and the threat of future tariffs—are already being felt around the world and here at home. The stakes have never been higher for our economy.”
In addition to coordinating Canada’s immediate economic response, Carney confirmed that he had his first direct conversation with President Trump since taking office last month and has agreed to begin formal negotiations immediately after the election, should his party form government.
“We will ensure that the ground for those negotiations is constructive, while we stand firm with our workers, protecting Canadian jobs and building this economy,” he added.
The prime minister also spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizing the need for closer cooperation with like-minded global partners. The European Union, which also faces tariffs from the U.S., has temporarily paused its countermeasures for 90 days—warning, however, that retaliatory tariffs will resume if negotiations with Washington fail.
“It isn’t an accident that I spoke to President von der Leyen today,” Carney said. “There’s strong interest in deepening our trading relationship with the EU, the UK, and partners across Asia.”
The Prime Minister’s Office stated that the leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening transatlantic ties to safeguard economic security on both continents.
Trump’s trade war has quickly become one of the defining issues of the federal election campaign. Both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh voiced their concerns Thursday, taking aim at Trump’s selective tariff approach and the broader impact on Canadian families.
Poilievre, campaigning in Milton, Ontario, criticized Trump for what he called a “historic mistreatment of Canada”, condemning the decision to maintain tariffs on Canadian goods while easing them for dozens of other nations.
“It remains a mystery why the president treats Canada worse than faraway countries that aren’t even America’s best friends,” Poilievre told reporters.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, campaigning in Saskatoon, said Canadians are rightly anxious over what he described as “the rollercoaster ride that is Donald Trump.” Singh emphasized his party’s opposition to any cuts in federal services, stating they would protect the public sector in the face of rising economic uncertainty.
“We’ve got a trade war, we’ve got attacks from Donald Trump, and the threat of a recession,” Singh said. “Cutting the services Canadians rely on is the wrong move right now.”
As global tensions continue to rise, Carney’s decision to pause campaigning highlights the gravity of the moment—and his strategy to lead Canada through a period of economic uncertainty with diplomacy, focus, and international cooperation.