Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Saturday that he had held lengthy and substantive discussions with US President Donald Trump as Canada-US Trade Talks continue, noting that both countries are making progress towards a bilateral trade agreement, although a final deal has yet to be reached.
Speaking during a state visit to Manila, Philippines—where he is meeting with Southeast Asian leaders for the ASEAN Summit—Carney also reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering commitment to NATO.
His remarks coincided with the announcement that Canada has wrapped up bilateral trade negotiations with the Philippines and substantially concluded free-trade talks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc representing roughly 700 million people.
He emphasized that Ottawa will not walk away from the alliance and insisted that the security architecture of a free Europe will be determined by NATO and European nations, not Russia.
Carney noted that incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also joined the call.
With Canada’s automotive sector heavily impacted by US duties, the prime minister emphasised that Ottawa would not sign any agreement that compromises the industry, a position that remains central to the ongoing Canada-US Trade Talks.
Recall that negotiations had previously collapsed in August after Washington introduced last-minute demands that Canada rejected. When the U.S.
Backstory…
The United States and Canada maintain one of the largest bilateral trading partnerships in the world, and a potential trade deal could lower duties on key sectors such as steel and aluminum.
According to Carney, Washington has walked back demands targeting Canada’s cultural industries, French-language protections, and autonomy to negotiate trade agreements with other nations.
Meanwhile, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, Trump had stated that the two countries were “very close” to reaching a deal.
During the midterm campaign, Democrats pledged to push back against U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, arguing that the duties were driving up consumer prices.
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