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Carney stands by Davos speech amid US criticism
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has firmly reasserted his stance on unchecked global powers, dismissing claims by a Trump administration official that he had softened his position during a call with US President Donald Trump.
Clarification follows US Treasury Secretary's remarks
On Tuesday, Carney told reporters in Ottawa that he had explicitly reiterated his Davos speech to Trump during their conversation. "To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos," he stated.
The previous day, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had claimed on Fox News that Carney was "very aggressively walking back" his comments to Trump.
Davos speech sparked international attention
Carney's address at the World Economic Forum in Davos drew global headlines after he indirectly criticized Trump for undermining the postwar international order. Trump responded the next day, asserting that "Canada lives because of the United States."
Call details and broader discussions
Carney confirmed that Trump initiated the call on Monday, describing it as a "very good conversation" covering multiple topics, including Ukraine, Venezuela, Arctic security, and Canada's recent trade agreement with China. The two leaders also discussed the USMCA, the trilateral trade pact between Canada, the US, and Mexico, which faces a mandatory review later this year.
Carney emphasized that his Davos speech had outlined Canada's response to shifts in US trade policy under Trump. "The president understood our position," he said.
Trade tensions and tariff threats
In a separate address to the House of Commons, Carney remarked, in French, that "the world has changed. Washington has changed. There's almost nothing normal in the United States. That's the truth."
Bessent, meanwhile, criticized Canada's trade negotiations with China during his Fox News interview, questioning Carney's motives. "Canada depends on the US," he said. "There's much more north-south trade than there could ever be east-west trade." He urged Carney to prioritize Canadian interests over a "globalist agenda."
Trump had previously threatened Canada with 100% tariffs on its goods if Ottawa allowed Chinese products to bypass US levies. The Canada-China deal, announced last week, reduces tariffs on Canadian canola oil from 85% to 15% by March. In return, Canada will lower tariffs on select Chinese electric vehicles from 100% to 6.1%.
Carney dismisses free-trade talks with China
Carney clarified that Canada is not pursuing a comprehensive free-trade agreement with China and has "never" considered one. He suggested Trump's tariff threats were likely a negotiation tactic ahead of the USMCA review. "The president is a strong negotiator, and some of these comments should be viewed in that context," he said.
