Trump says things will work out ‘very well’ but tariff threats remain

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OTTAWA – U.S. President Donald Trump said things will be “good” between his country and Canada shortly after the first call with Prime Minister Mark Carney, although the threat of new U.S. tariffs remain vaguely visible next week.

Trump made a new, more positive tone to Canada in his speech at the Oval Office Friday afternoon as he described a “very good conversation” with Carney that morning.

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“The Prime Minister and myself, we had a good conversation and I think it would be great between Canada and the United States,” Trump said.

“We will eventually build good relations with Canada and many other countries,” he continued, adding that, despite this, some other countries are not.

Donald Trump is expected to impose imports on key sectors on April 2. This includes a 25% tax on foreign-made cars and parts, the second largest tax on exports to the United States.

These tariffs are 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports earlier this month.

Trump also suggested Wednesday’s tariffs would hit imports of medicines, semiconductor chips and cork wood, another major export from Canada to the United States

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Carney said Friday that Trump gave him no assurance that he would exempt Canada from new tariffs next week and did not back down existing steel and aluminum border taxes.

The call, he said, was “very constructive” and Trump “respected Canada’s sovereignty” both public and private Friday.

Starting the previous day, he reiterated his comment that Trump has profoundly and permanently changed Canada-U.S. relations and now it’s time to renegotiate the partnership.

“We will have a comprehensive discussion of the broader economic partnership after the federal election. But this is the beginning of the negotiations. We will see what the U.S. did the second day in April. Of course, there are still tariffs on many other Canadian goods.”

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He promised that if elected, his administration would create a $5 billion “trade diversification corridor fund” that would help build major projects around transportation infrastructure such as ports, rail and airports.

On Thursday, Carney said Canada is preparing for billions of dollars in anti-election campaigns if the promised U.S. border tax will take place April 2.

In another phone reading Friday, the prime minister’s office described the conversation with Trump as “very constructive” and reported that Carney reiterated his administration’s commitment to imposing retaliatory tariffs.

Meanwhile, readers say that Cabinet Secretary Dominic Leblanc and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will “strengthen” dialogue between Cabinet ministers in the near future.

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Another obvious change for Trump on Friday is that he deliberately excludes the country accused of using the United States

For months, the U.S. government has accused Canada of “unfairness” or “very abuse” and has generally taken advantage of its southern neighbors in trade and national security.

“We have liberation day on April 2 because, and I didn’t mention Canada, many countries have taken advantage of us,” Trump said.

Despite a noticeable change in tone to Canada, Trump said Friday that he would “absolutely” follow his commitment to further tariffs if Canada retaliates against the border next week.

Vice President JD Vance was still hawkish when he spoke to Greenland when asked about the ongoing tariff war on Friday.

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Vance said: “As President Trump often says, Canadian leaders threaten retaliatory tariffs on the United States.

US Canadian trade expert Mark Warner warned that it is too early to say that Trump’s voice on Friday’s positive tone of Canada is a better day for bilateral relations.

But he suggested that Trump might prefer to deal with conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

“I certainly wouldn’t see it as the end of the tariff threat. That’s Trump’s Mo. As for every day, when they come, I think that’s a game of cups,” Warner, a partner at Maaw Law, wrote to National Post.

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He added: “My advice to clients is to avoid pitfalls and try to outperform your business in the worst adaptation.”

Shortly after the call, Trump suggested on social media that Carney would win the ongoing federal election, saying he would meet Liberal leaders “immediately” during the campaign to continue negotiations.

“It’s an extremely productive call, we agree with many things and will meet immediately after the upcoming elections in Canada to devote ourselves to politics, business and all other factors, and will ultimately be very useful for both the United States of America and Canada. Thank you for your attention to this issue!” Trump wrote after 11 a.m., Truth Social.

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Trump also used Carney’s proper title – Prime Minister – instead of “Governor”, who was used to demean former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Carney warned Canadians on Thursday that the country would have to get rid of its traditional dependence on U.S. trade.

“We will need to significantly reduce our dependence on the United States and the United States. We need to rotate our trade relations elsewhere, and we will need to do it at a rate that has never been seen by generations, which was previously thought impossible.”

He added: “The road ahead will be long. Without silver bullets, no quick fixes, I know, I know that many people are anxious and worried about the future.”

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Tory leader Pierre Poilievre said in a sawmill in British Columbia that he hopes Trump’s soft news about Canada shows that the president’s tone has changed.

“We want to end this crazy tariff chaos. We have the best trading relationship in world history, why not continue and develop this trading relationship to become two sovereign, independent countries,” he said.

Poilievre accused liberals of failing to protect Canadian cork timber, which could also face additional tariffs as of April 2.

He promised: “I will negotiate to end the cork timber tariffs so that we can bring the timber into the U.S. market.”

State Post

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