Highlights from PM Carney’s meeting with Trump in Washington

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump met Tuesday in Washington for their first face-to-face discussion of U.S.-Canada relations and Trump’s ongoing trade war.

Here are some highlights from the meeting, which Carney described as both “wide-ranging” and “constructive.”

Carney says Canadians will ‘never’ put a price tag on sovereignty

After months of listening to Trump talk about annexing Canada, Carney told the president in the Oval Office that Canada will “never” be for sale.

While Trump has claimed repeatedly that Canada should become a U.S. state, the president downplayed the suggestion during the public portion of the leaders’ meeting on Tuesday. He said “it takes two to tango” but it would be a “wonderful marriage if it could happen.”

When Trump spoke of Canada as a real estate opportunity, Carney interjected by saying that “there are some places that are never for sale,” pointing to the White House as an example.

Trump still wouldn’t close the door on annexation after Carney’s remarks.

“Never say never,” he said. “I’ve had many, many things that were not doable and they ended up being doable. Over time, we’ll see what happens.”

Carney said Canadians’ views on the issue are not about to change.

Trump says tariffs here to stay

While the meeting between Carney and Trump was largely cordial, Trump did not indicate he intends to drop tariffs in the near future.

Trump said that while the United States is always going to be friends with Canada, nothing Carney could say to him Tuesday would convince him to immediately drop tariffs on Canada.

When asked why, Trump replied that it’s “just the way it is.”

The president also said Tuesday that he doesn’t want cars, aluminum or steel from Canada.

During a press conference after the meeting, Carney said he wasn’t surprised that Trump said he wouldn’t lift the tariffs because it’s a “complex” situation. He said there isn’t a single Canadian initiative that could change the situation but he “pressed the case” on areas where his government feels tariffs can be lifted.

The leaders shower each other with compliments

At the outset of the meeting, Carney called Trump a “transformational” president focused on the economy and tackling illegal opioids.

Trump said he respects Carney and that Canada chose a “very talented person” in its recent election.

He complimented Carney on his performance in the recent debate, said he ran a great campaign and described the Liberal win as one of the greatest political comebacks of all time – maybe even greater than his own.

Trump calls CUSMA a ‘transitional’ agreement

When asked by reporters during the meeting if the CUSMA trade deal is dead, Trump said “no” and that “it’s still very effective” but that businesses have to follow it.

Trump said the agreement was a “transitional step” that will be renegotiated shortly. He called the deal a “very positive step” away from the former NAFTA trade deal.

“This was a transitional deal, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We’re going to be starting to possibly renegotiate that, if it’s even necessary. I don’t know that it’s necessary anymore. But it served a very good purpose.”

CUSMA was negotiated during the first Trump administration.

Carney said the deal was a basis for a broader negotiation and that “some things about it are going to have to change.” He said Trump has taken advantage of existing aspects of trade law to impose tariffs.

Trump takes jabs at former Liberal government

At the meeting, Trump told Carney that he “didn’t like his predecessor” Justin Trudeau.

Trump also took an apparent swipe at former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who spearheaded the renegotiation of NAFTA with the first Trump White House.

Trump didn’t refer to Freeland by name but called her “terrible” and said she tried to “take advantage” of CUSMA.

“We had a bad relationship having to do with the fact that we disagreed with the way they viewed the deal,” Trump said.

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington, D.C., and Kyle Duggan and David Baxter in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press