TORONTO
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday explicitly ruled out pursuing a free trade agreement with China, a direct response to U.S.
President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if such a deal went forward.
Carney characterized his government’s recent engagement with Beijing not as a step toward a comprehensive pact, but as a limited measure to “rectify some issues” by reducing tariffs on a few specific sectors.
He cited commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that require prior notification before pursuing free trade with “nonmarket economies.”
“We have no intention of doing that with China or any other nonmarket economy,” Carney stated.
The prime minister’s clarification came after Trump escalated his trade rhetoric in a social media post, claiming, “China is successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada… I only hope they leave Ice Hockey alone!”
By firmly closing the door on a broader China trade deal, Carney’s statement aims to preempt the severe tariffs threatened by Trump and reassure the United States of Canada’s commitment to their existing trade framework.
By James Kisoo
