Carney says he and Trump had a “good conversation” on stalled Canada-U.S. trade talks

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Prime Minister Mark Carney says he had a “good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump about the future of trade between Canada and the United States.

Carney said in a social media post on Sunday that the conversation builds on previous discussions between the two about what he described as a mutually beneficial trade deal.

In the post, Carney said a deal would create jobs for workers, improve affordability for families and respect “Canada’s languages, culture and sovereignty.”

Carney wrote that his team and Trump’s are to continue working together in the coming weeks to achieve a deal.

The trade relationship between the two countries has been strained since Carney’s government walked away from formal trade talks in August, after the prime minister accused the Americans of making unreasonable last-minute demands.

Washington imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods, and Ottawa responded with retaliatory tariffs on American products.

Trump recently said he would lift some of the 50 per cent tariffs on Canada at the end of October, while adding tariffs to dozens of new products, including Canadian garbage and sewage.

Last week, Carney said progress on a new trade deal was limited while reiterating that Ottawa is prepared to make a deal only when it suits Canada’s interests.

The Sunday post came ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, where the trade dispute has emerged as a key issue among some candidates, with suggestions in the U.S. that a deal might be pursued to help Republican chances in retaining control of Congress or the Senate.