President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday about reaching a USA and Canada trade agreement, noting that both sides had made significant progress in negotiations. Speaking in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump softened his earlier trade tensions and adopted a more amicable tone toward Canada, one of America’s biggest trading partners.
“I love Canada and the people of Canada, and Mark feels the same way,” Trump said.
He recognized that competition between U.S. and Canadian companies would make the agreement complex but described it as a natural business rivalry with no inherent problem.
USA and Canada Trade Deal
In July, Trump imposed a 35% tariff on most Canadian goods and raw materials, which initially prompted retaliatory tariffs from Canada. However, Carney later announced exemptions for products covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
At their previous meeting in May, Carney dismissed Trump’s suggestion to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, telling him, “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale. And Canada is not for sale, it will never be for sale.”
