Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will not rush into a trade deal with the U.S., aiming instead to build a stronger and more self-reliant economy.
"And to our American friends, let me say this. We will always be neighbors," Carney told an audience of global investors at the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, emphasizing that sustainable relations require "true partners that respect each other’s traditions and sovereignty. When those opportunities return, Canada will be an even better partner — stronger, more resilient, more independent," he stated.
Bilateral trade tensions escalated after formal talks collapsed last month, leading to 50% US tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian imports and retaliatory measures from Ottawa.
Despite ongoing disputes, Carney noted that roughly 80% of bilateral trade remains tariff-free and expressed readiness to finalize an agreement when conditions are right.
Carney also unveiled plans to raise tens of billions of dollars for infrastructure by offering long-term operating concessions for Canada's four largest airports.
IN FULL
Carney says ‘nostalgia is not a strategy’ when it comes to the Canada-Trump trade war




