Washington, Oct 7 (EFE). – United States President Donald Trump said Tuesday, the trade dispute with Canada, one of its main partners, is “natural” given the proximity of the two countries, and pointed to an agreement that will leave Canadians “very happy.”
Trump made these statements at the start of a meeting at the White House with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
«It’s a complicated agreement, more complicated, maybe, than any other agreement we have on trade, because, you know, we have natural conflict. We also have mutual love. You know, we have great love for each other,» he said.
The US president also acknowledged for the first time that the trade conflict is hurting both countries, noting, “we sort of hurt each other when we compete. And so we have a natural conflict. It’s a natural business conflict, nothing wrong with it.”
He also stated that, in recent months, the two countries are working on their trade negotiations.
“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, and we’re going to get the right deal, right deal for America, right deal, obviously, from my perspective, for Canada,» Trump noted.
USMCA renewal
Trump acknowledged that any agreement reached by the two countries in the renewal of the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) trade agreement, scheduled for 2026, will include tariffs.
Carney praised Trump’s role in several peace processes, including the initial agreement to end the war in Gaza.
He also pointed out that, despite the conflicts created by tariffs, both countries maintain a good relationship.
Responding to a question about why Canada hasn’t been able to carve out a trade deal like other allies, the former central banker ran through the top-line numbers: Canada is the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner and its largest foreign investor.
“There are areas where we compete, and it’s in those areas we have to come to an agreement that works,” said Carney. “But there are more areas where we are stronger together.”
Jokes about US-Canada merger
In a relaxed atmosphere, Trump could not help but laughingly reiterate his interest in annexing Canada as the 51st state of the United States, something that has caused serious tensions in bilateral relations.
This time, however, instead of talking about annexation, Trump referred to a “merger” between the two countries, to which Carney simply laughed and changed the subject, unlike at their last meeting in May, when the prime minister replied that Canada would “never” be part of the United States.
Progress in the fight against fentanyl
The fight against trafficking in fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has caused a serious overdose crisis in the United States, on which Trump justified tariffs on Mexico and Canada, was also a topic of discussion at the meeting.
Although the US president acknowledged that the crisis “is never going to be over,” he highlighted Canada’s efforts to curb drug trafficking: “We have worked with Canada and we have worked with Mexico, so we have done much better,” he said.
Carney reaffirmed his country’s commitment to combating this substance, although he pointed out that less than 1% of the fentanyl that reaches the United States comes from Canada, he stressed that any amount “is too much.” EFE
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