After Trump announced more tariffs this week, the new Canadian Prime Minister described Washington as “no longer a reliable partner.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the era of close bilateral relations between his country and the United States is “end” following Donald Trump’s plan to impose a 25% tariff on automobile imports.
Speaking in Ottawa on Thursday, the new Liberal leader, who recently replaced Justin Trudeau, told reporters that Canada needs to “dramatically reduce” its dependence on its neighbors.
“It’s clear that the US is no longer a reliable partner,” he said. He insisted that even if the country’s relations improve, “it will not recede.”
“Based on the consolidation of our economy, strict security and military cooperation, our old relationship with the United States has ended,” he said.
Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, said Canada should instead look to other partners.
As part of the drive, he explained, he visited two Canadian allies, France and the UK, on his first international trip as prime minister.
Trump repeatedly angered Canadians by saying his country should become the 51st state, and his partial implementation of a 25% tariff on Canadian goods has made relations worse.
On Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff on cars and auto parts imported into the US. The first of these measures is expected to come into effect in early April.
Carney said the 1965 Canadian-US Automobile Products Agreement, which was called the most important deal of his life, is now “finished.”
“We will fight US tariffs with our own retaliatory actions that have the biggest impact in the United States and minimal impact in Canada,” Carney added.
Other world leaders have also criticised Trump’s new tariffs and said there is a risk of fostering a global trade war.
Commission chairman Ursula von der Leyen called tariffs “bad for businesses” and “bad for consumers.”
Doubled his position, the US president threatened to increase tariffs on Canada and the EU if he worked with Washington.
“If the European Union works with Canada to inflict economic harm on the US, it will put a massive tariff on both, much larger than is planned,” Trump said early Thursday.
Under Carney, the Liberal Party’s wealth has been restored. Before Trudeau resigned in January, the vote showed he was likely to suffer a fierce defeat to conservative leader Pierre Polyable in the upcoming election.
Positioning herself as the perfect person to guide Canada through the challenges Trump has brought, Carney called for the snap election on April 28th.
According to recent polls, he currently has a slim lead over Conservative leader Pierre Polyeive.
