U.S. President Donald Trump struck a friendly tone toward Canada on Sunday, but avoided committing to any restart of stalled trade negotiations with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Speaking en route to a gala at the Kennedy Center, Trump described his World Cup sidelines discussion with Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday as “very good” and “very productive.”
Carney’s office similarly labeled the talks “constructive.” Despite the cordial remarks, Trump stopped short of signaling movement on trade talks, which were put on hold in October after he reacted to Ontario’s anti-tariff advertising campaign during the World Series. When pressed on whether negotiations would resume, Trump responded only, “We’ll see,” adding that the two countries would “work it out.”
He called Canada “a special place,” noting his positive rapport with Carney — but also highlighted ongoing tensions over manufacturing overlap, saying Canada produces “a lot of things we don’t need because we make them also.” Tariffs imposed by Washington earlier this year continue to define the relationship, with duties on Canadian goods raised to 35 per cent in August. Mexico, facing 25 per cent tariffs, has been granted repeated extensions.
Both partners have also been hit with separate U.S. trade penalties on steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and copper. While the CUSMA trade agreement has offered insulation from a broader tariff wave, its mandatory review window begins next year. Without a renewal agreement among all three countries, the pact would sunset in 2036. Canada and Mexico are now exploring options to ease tariff pressures while continuing to argue for a stable, duty-free North American market, even as Trump hints he could withdraw the U.S. from CUSMA altogether.
