U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to speak on Friday, a White House official confirmed, as tensions escalate over new U.S. tariffs and Trump’s controversial push to annex Canada.
“A call is scheduled this morning,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Carney had previously stated that he expected to speak with Trump within “the next day or two.”
The conversation comes just a day after Carney declared that the era of close economic, security, and military cooperation between Canada and the United States “is over.”
Carney, who took office two weeks ago after replacing Justin Trudeau, has called snap elections for April 28. While it is customary for a newly elected Canadian leader to prioritize a call with the U.S. president, Carney and Trump have yet to communicate.
At the heart of the escalating dispute is Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on auto imports, a move set to take effect next week. The levy threatens Canada’s auto industry, which supports an estimated 500,000 jobs. In response, Carney halted his election campaign to convene an emergency cabinet meeting in Ottawa, vowing that Canada would retaliate against the tariffs, which he called “unjustified” and a violation of existing trade agreements.
However, beyond the trade dispute, Carney issued a stark warning about the broader shift in U.S.-Canada relations. Trump, who returned to power in January, has repeatedly stated that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state—a stance that has alarmed Canadian officials.
“The old relationship we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over,” Carney said.
The prime minister further warned that he would not engage in substantive trade negotiations with Washington unless Trump demonstrated “respect” for Canada, particularly by abandoning his annexation rhetoric.
