Carney says he had “good conversation” with Trump about trade as teams work for a deal

The Story

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he had a "good conversation" with U.S. President Donald Trump on the future of trade between Canada and the United States, with a Canada-U.S. trade deal the next focus for both countries’ teams.

Carney said the discussion with Trump builds on previous conversations about what a mutually beneficial trade deal could look like. He said such a deal would create jobs for workers, improve affordability for families, and respect Canada’s languages, culture and sovereignty.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said the leaders’ conversation took place on Saturday, with Carney saying: "Our teams will now be working in the coming weeks to deliver that outcome."

The trade talks come as Trump’s approach to bilateral commerce remains a prominent issue in the United States ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, with the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute drawing attention among some candidates.

Trump, speaking to reporters in Iowa on Sunday, said Canada and the United States have "the concept of a very good deal" and that the countries were "very close" to reaching an agreement. He said Canada and the United States have "been losing money for many years" and that the deal would be good for "our farmers" and "our country," while "fine for Canada too."

Trump also said Sunday that the Keystone XL pipeline project is part of the negotiations and that Canada would pay for "all of it." He said the route has been largely determined and that the pipeline would be built.

Keystone XL could bring more than 800,000 barrels of additional oil from Alberta to the United States. The project was proposed almost 20 years ago and was killed in 2021 when former U.S. president Joe Biden revoked a key U.S. permit, after years of challenges from U.S. landowners, Indigenous leaders in both countries, and environmental groups.

Carney has raised the possibility of reviving Keystone as part of broader energy cooperation discussions that also include support for Canada’s steel and aluminum sectors, and Trump signed an executive order in April to approve a new pipeline using existing portions of the abandoned Keystone project.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre encouraged Carney to "get a great deal," arguing Canadians cannot afford to wait for an agreement. He said Carney promised in the last election he would get an even better deal than before, and that the promise has not been met so far.