Prime Minister Mark Carney says he expects to cross paths with U.S. President Donald Trump at a World Cup event in Washington next week, but he is cautioning Canadians not to view the encounter as anything more than a routine interaction. Speaking in Ottawa on Wednesday, Carney made it clear that trade negotiations between the two countries remain stalled.
Carney confirmed that he spoke briefly with Trump on Tuesday, but insisted the exchange was insignificant. “This is the kind of thing I didn’t want to get drawn into, which is every little exchange,” he said. “There are substantive meetings and conversations and negotiations, and that’s not what I’m alluding to.”
The comments come as the Liberal government announced new support for Canada’s steel and lumber sectors, both hit hard by U.S. tariffs. Trade tensions have been simmering since late October when Trump abruptly halted negotiations, upset over Ontario government ads airing in U.S. markets that used a Ronald Reagan clip warning about the dangers of tariffs. Trump also threatened an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods—though he has never specified which products would be targeted, and no new tariffs have been imposed.
Before talks fell apart, Carney had said Canada was nearing a deal with Washington after months of effort focused on steel, aluminum, and auto-sector tariffs. The sudden breakdown came just weeks after Trump publicly complimented Carney during an Oval Office meeting, and days before both leaders attended international summits in Asia. Trump told reporters during that trip he didn’t plan to speak with Carney “for a while.”
Despite that remark, the two ended up at the same dinner on Oct. 29 at an event hosted by South Korea’s president, where Carney apologized for the Ontario ad campaign.
Carney stumbled into controversy again last week when, responding to a question about when he last spoke with Trump, he quipped, “Who cares?” The remark prompted criticism from opposition parties, and Carney later admitted it was a poor choice of words.
The upcoming World Cup draw—hosted jointly by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico—is, according to Carney, “an important event for Canada,” but he cautioned against reading too much into any interaction he might have with Trump there. “I’ll see the president around there, but I don’t want to over-signal things,” he said. “What matters is the negotiations, when they re-engage. They haven’t re-engaged yet.”
Carney added that Canada remains ready to resume talks as soon as the U.S. is willing to come back to the table.