Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing back against calls for retaliatory trade measures against the United States, saying now is the time for dialogue rather than escalation. Speaking at a news conference in Toronto on Thursday, Carney said Ottawa is engaged in “deep” and “intensive” negotiations with Washington on several tariffed sectors and wants to give those talks a chance to succeed.
“There’s times to hit back and there’s times to talk, and right now is the time to talk,” Carney said.
His comments come after Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Ottawa earlier in the week to take a harder line if trade negotiations falter. Speaking at the Empire Club of Canada, Ford warned that U.S. President Donald Trump is unpredictable and argued that Canada must be prepared to retaliate if it cannot secure a fair deal. “You can’t get rolled over by this guy,” Ford said. “If he can’t get a deal, we have to hit back.”
Carney said his government is focused on negotiating sector-specific agreements with the U.S. on steel, aluminum, energy, and other industries affected by tariffs. He noted that he will brief Ford on the state of the negotiations, which he said will play a crucial role in Canada’s economic strategy as the upcoming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches.
“What will make the biggest difference, not just to those sectors but to all of Ontario, all Canada … is where we end up following the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, which is coming very shortly,” Carney said. “So, the strategy has to take all of that into account and deliver the results.”
Carney stressed that Canada enters the negotiations from a position of strength. “With the exception of Mexico, which has significant free trade with the United States, the deals the Americans have signed with everyone else have tariffs on the core of the trade, and then higher tariffs on strategic sectors,” he said. “So, we’re starting from this stronger position, but we’re also very acutely aware and very focused on the fact that we can make it better — and so we will do everything we can to make it better.”
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, is in Washington this week continuing high-level discussions with U.S. officials. LeBlanc remained in the U.S. after Carney’s recent meeting with Trump at the White House to work on reaching sector-specific deals “quickly,” particularly in energy, steel, and aluminum.
The prime minister’s remarks signal a deliberate choice to prioritize negotiation over retaliation, even as pressure builds domestically to push back against U.S. tariffs on key Canadian industries.