Gyeongju, South Korea — Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump came face to face Wednesday for the first time since Trump halted trade talks with Canada last week.
The two leaders were seen smiling and exchanging brief pleasantries as they sat near each other at a state dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung in Gyeongju. The event was held ahead of this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which has drawn regional and global leaders to discuss trade and economic cooperation.
Observers noted that while Carney and Trump appeared cordial, their brief encounter came amid heightened trade tensions. Just days earlier, Trump announced he was “terminating” negotiations with Ottawa, later threatening to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods after an anti-tariff television ad — funded by Ontario — aired in the U.S.
President Lee opened the dinner by welcoming attendees and urging closer regional cooperation despite ongoing global trade disputes.
Neither Trump nor Carney made public comments during the event, but both are scheduled to participate in APEC’s plenary sessions later this week, where U.S.–Canada trade relations are expected to be a major topic of discussion.
