Trump says there is ‘natural conflict’ with Canada during Carney visit | Donald Trump

Donald Trump said there is “mutual love” but “natural conflict” between the US and Canada as he hailed progress towards a trade deal but offered few concrete concessions on steep US tariffs during a visit by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney.

Carney’s second visit to the US comes as one of the world’s most durable and amicable alliances has been fractured by Trump’s trade war and annexation threats. Among the topics up for discussion are trade and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is critical to Canada’s economy and is up for review next year.

Trump said he was willing to revisit the free trade agreement, which was enacted during his first term, or seek “different deals”.

“We could renegotiate it, and that would be good, or we can just do different deals,” he said. “We’re allowed to do different deals.”

Trump exhibited a fondness for Carney, something he did not display toward Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau. He described Carney as a “world-class leader” and said he is a tough negotiator.

“We want Canada to do great,” Trump said. “But you know, there’s a point at which we also want the same business.”

Asked why the US and Canada have failed to reach a deal on trade, Trump said it’s a complicated situation.

“We have natural conflict,” he said. “We also have mutual love.”

Carney balked at the word “conflict”.

“There are areas where we compete, and it’s in those areas where we have to come to an agreement that works. But there are more areas where we are stronger together, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Relations with Canada’s southern neighbour and longtime ally have never been worse, said Frank McKenna, a former Canadian ambassador to the US and current deputy chairman of TD Bank.

“Canadians aren’t being instructed what to do. They are simply voting with their feet,” he said. “I talk every day to ordinary citizens who are changing their vacation plans, and I talk to large business owners who are moving reward trips away, or executive business trips. There is an outright rebellion.”

There is fear in Canada over what will happen to the free trade agreement. Carney is looking to get some relief on some sector-specific tariffs, but expectations are low.

“Improving relations with the White House ahead of the USMCA review is certainly an objective of the trip, but opposition parties and part of the Canadian public will criticise Prime Minister Carney if he doesn’t achieve some progress on the tariff front at this stage,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.