Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney projected confidence that US President Donald Trump will seek trade talks claiming that otherwise America has a lot to lose as a consequence of the US trade war.
Carney asserted that talks with Trump seem to be quite demanding “until we get the respect we deserve as a sovereign nation. By the way, this is not a high bar.”
This comes following Trump’s frequent attacks on the sovereign nation affirming Canada to be the 51st state and that the U.S. keeps Canada “afloat.” “When I say they should be a state, I mean that,” the American president asserted.
Carney met with Canada’s provincial leaders at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, where he unveiled relief packages for employees and businesses affected by the trade conflict and outlined measures to accelerate resource projects.
Trump earlier mocked Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, by calling him Governor Trudeau, but he has not yet mentioned Carney’s name who took oath last Friday.
“In the end, Americans are going to lose from American trade action and that’s one of the reasons I am confident that there will be that discussion with the appropriate amount of respect and the breadth,” Carney said.
Carney declared that failing a comprehensive discussion on trade and security, Canada won’t negotiate with anything. “I am ready for it anytime they are ready,” he said.
Earlier, the US imposed a 25% tariff on Canada’s steel and aluminum and has cautioned about broad tariffs on all Canadian goods, as well as on all of America’s trade partners, effective April 2.
The constant assaults on Canada’s sovereignty have angered Canadians, who are calling off trips to the US and steering clear of American products whenever possible.
Canada is also exploring various strategies to strengthen its economy by shifting toward self-reliance and domestically produced goods. Developing an oil pipeline from oil-rich Alberta to Eastern Canada is also underway discussions.
Quebec previously resisted a pipeline, but Premier François Legault now states that perspectives are shifting due to Trump’s warnings. Carney noted that Quebec consumes approximately 350,000 barrels of oil per day, with 70% of it sourced from the U.S.
