Canada never for sale, PM Carney tells Trump

WASHINGTON — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House on Tuesday for his first talks with United States President Donald Trump and bluntly told him that Canada would never be for sale.

Carney, who won his country's federal election on April 28 on a promise to push back against US tariffs and talk of annexation, later said he had also asked Trump to stop referring to Canada in public as the 51st state.

Trump offended Canada's sense of pride and friendship by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st US state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods.

The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney's Liberal Party to score a stunning comeback victory last month.

Overall, Carney termed Tuesday's meeting as constructive, and said the two sides would start serious talks on a new relationship he insists is needed in the wake of the tariffs.

Trump told reporters the meeting was "great" and said he and Carney get along. "I think the relationship is going to be very strong."

Although Carney has repeatedly called Trump's actions a betrayal, the two leaders showed little animosity during the opening session at the Oval Office, both men praising each other in front of reporters before meeting privately.

Trump said the two sides would not discuss Canada becoming part of the US, but said it would be "a wonderful marriage".

Carney put down the annexation idea firmly.

"It's not for sale. It won't be for sale — ever," he said.

Trump then replied, "Never say never."

'Tough points'

Trump, whose tariff policy has rattled world markets, had said he and Carney would discuss "tough points", an allusion to the president's belief that the US can do without Canadian products, a point that he made at length during the Oval Office conversation.

Carney's Liberal Party promised voters it would create a new bilateral economic and security relationship with Washington and diversify an economy heavily dependent on exports to the US.

"We made progress. We had very comprehensive tangible exchanges and there will be meetings between ministers and officials," Carney later told a news conference, saying he would meet Trump at a G7 summit in Canada next month.

Given the potential for missteps and unpredictable reactions from Trump, the sense of relief among Canadian officials was clear. One senior member of the delegation told Reuters that the meeting was "a 10 out of 10".

Before the visit, Carney played down expectations of a breakthrough in the talks. Indeed, when Trump was asked if Carney could say anything to persuade him to lift tariffs, he replied, "No."

A senior Canadian government official said Carney told Trump over lunch that the tariffs did not make sense.

Carney told reporters that he had asked Trump to stop referring to Canada as the 51st state on the grounds it was "not useful".

"But the president will say what he wants," he said.

The stakes of the meeting were high and the messages beforehand mixed. Trump told reporters on Monday he was not quite sure why Carney was visiting.

"I'm not sure what he wants to see me about," Trump said. "But I guess he wants to make a deal."

Carney, at a news conference on Friday, said the talks would focus on immediate trade pressures and the broader economic and national security relationships.

He said his "government would fight to get the best deal for Canada "and "take all the time necessary" to do so, even as Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and lessen its commitments with the US.

Trump has maintained the US does not need anything from Canada. He is going after a Canadian auto sector built largely by US companies, saying, "They're stopping work in Mexico, and they're stopping work in Canada, and they're all moving here."

Agencies via Xinhua