US, Canadian leaders disagree on '51st state' and trade issues

OTTAWA -- US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met in the White House on Tuesday, disagreeing on the "51st state" and trade issues, according to the live broadcast of CBC News.

Speaking to the media in the Oval Office, Trump repeated annexation threats toward Canada, which he said would be a "wonderful marriage" and called the border between the two countries "artificial" again.

The president said it would be best for Canada as the "51st state" of the United States with a lot of advantage, tax cut and free military.

Carney jumped in, saying that Canada is "never for sale."

"Never say never," quipped Trump, "time will tell."

On trade issues, Trump said Carney can't say anything to lift tariffs.

"Just the way it is," said the president, who also made a statement on his Truth Social account minutes before Carney's arrival, denigrating the importance of Canada to the US economy.

Trump said the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a "transitional step" that "terminates fairly shortly," making no commitment to its renewal.

Carney said the agreement is the "basis for a broader negotiation," adding that parts of it may change and other elements might be added during a potential renegotiation.

The United States has put in place a 25 percent tariff on all goods, and 10 percent on energy and potash that isn't covered by USMCA. There's another 25 percent tax on Canadian steel and aluminum, and 25 percent on automobiles that aren't covered by USMCA.

In response, Canada put in place its own 25 percent tariffs on non-USMCA compliant vehicles, and additional fees on nearly 60 billion Canadian dollars (43.6 billion US dollars) in steel and aluminum products, as well as consumer goods including juice, spirits, computers, apparel and cosmetics.

Carney traveled to Washington on Monday, his first foreign trip since winning a minority Liberal government in last week's federal election. The prime minister said the trip would be the first in a series of discussions on tariffs, military cooperation and other issues with the United States.