Carney, Trump talk ‘very’ productive talks, but April 2 tariffs still expected

Both Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Friday of “very” productive talks, although planned U.S. tariffs on Canadian cars will still go into effect on April 2, after which Canada is expected to respond with reciprocal tariffs.

Despite no definitive change in tariffs following the two leaders’ phone call, Carney told reporters in Montreal during the campaign that they had made “progress” and that Trump had “respected Canada’s sovereignty in both public and private statements today.”

Asked if Trump had hinted at an exemption for Canada from the April 2 tariffs, Carney said: “It remains the case that the tariffs will be applied.”

Carney added that Trump's goal is to "transform the American economy and, as a result, transform the global economy, including Canada's," and he will do so by targeting strategic sectors such as steel and aluminum.

**Trump: "The results will be good"**
Trump, speaking at the White House, said he had a "very good" conversation with Carney and expected "things to go well between Canada and the United States." He stressed that if Canada retaliates with tariffs, the United States will "certainly" impose more tariffs.

This is the first conversation between the two leaders since Carney took office on March 14. In a post on the social network Truth Social, Trump said he shares many of the same views with Carney and announced that he would meet with him immediately after the Canadian election.

**Reaction from opposition parties**
Reacting to the call, Conservative leader Pierre Pulievre accused the Liberals of increasing Canada's dependence on the United States. “Trump and Carney have one thing in common: they both want to impose tariffs on Canadian industries,” he said.

Meanwhile, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh said that while the talks were promising, the main concern was whether the tariffs would be lifted. “Trump is unpredictable,” he warned.

**Background of trade tensions**
The tensions follow previous disputes between the two countries over steel and aluminum tariffs under Trump and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump had previously accused Trudeau of using trade talks to maintain power.

With Canada’s federal election on April 28, the outcome of the talks could have a significant impact on future relations between the two countries.

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