Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Washington today for his first face-to-face meeting with President Trump. Carney arrived yesterday. It’s an important and high stakes meeting as Canada faces more tariffs in Trump’s trade war.
Carney arrived in Washington Monday, and last night met with the Canadian and American business leaders. Today trade, tariffs, and security will dominate the agenda at the White House. The newly elected Carney based his entire election campaign on being the best leader to deal with President Trump, the two have had a couple of phone conversations already, and both said those talks were positive. Here’s Carney last week ahead of today’s meeting at the White House.
“Our focus will be on both immediate trade pressures and the broader future economic and security relationship between our two sovereign nations. My government will fight to get the best deal for Canada,” Carney said.
President Trump put a slightly different spin on the meeting, saying “I’m not sure what he wants to see me about, but I guess he wants to make a deal.” That’s not quite the clear-cut interpretation that Carney put forward.
“There are two sets of issues. There are the immediate tariffs both sectoral and so-called reciprocal and fentanyl tariffs, and there is a broader relationship. So, addressing both sets of issues. We’ll see how that progress goes. It’s important to get engaged immediately, which has always been my intention. It’s always been his intention, and I’m pleased to have the opportunity for quite a comprehensive set of meetings that will take place on Tuesday,” Carney said.
Much is riding on this meeting, and how the two leaders get along in person. There is some concern in Ottawa on how other world leaders were greeted in the Oval Office, especially the berating that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky received in February.
So, analysts say Carney must stand up for Canada but walk a fine line in how he does it.
Canadian senator Peter Boehm was the point man for the G7 meeting in Quebec during Trump’s first term as president, he said Carney must focus on the partnership between the two nations.
“He will want, I think be forthright and to demonstrate to the president that the president can talk to him. And he’s going to give him the straight goods as to how he sees the economy and how he sees the trade partnership,” Boehm said.
Boehm also says Carney’s experience as a former governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada is something that will stand him in good stead with Trump.
There’s even some advice for Carney from Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, who is also hopeful about the meeting.
“I know your prime minister will be meeting with President Trump and he’ll assert himself as well. But on the basis of the relationship that many people have with Donald Trump, I imagine that will be a very positive meeting and I hope the prime minister takes that approach and engages him and is very honest and forthright in terms of expectation setting I think it will actually be well received,” Newsom said.
Newsom also says he hopes the meeting will be one-on-one, as talks with other leaders have tended to go well when it's just the two leaders. California has become the first state to file a lawsuit challenging Trump’s tariffs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also had some advice on the eve of the white house meeting.
“Don’t get bullied. We know where he’s going and stand firm. We’re their number one customer and they’re our number one customer. Just be strong, and we have your back,” Ford said.
David Cohen is a former US ambassador to Canada. Cohen says relationships matter, especially between leaders.
“President Trump tends to respect leaders who come from a business background, as he did. And obviously, Mark Carney has a distinguished record in business and Prime Minister Trudeau was a lifelong elected official with no business background. I think you’ve seen the way in which the president talks about Mark Carney that seems to reflect that respect.,” Cohen said.
There are two issues that could raise difficulties for today’s meeting, the first is Trump’s renewed rhetoric about making Canada the fifty first state. The second is Trump’s announcement of a 100 percent tariff on any films produced in foreign lands, that of course includes Canada.
