Mark Carney made the comments after Canada this week announced retaliatory tariffs worth 29.8 billion Canadian dollars (€19.1bn) on US imports.
Canada’s incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is willing to hold trade talks with US President Donald Trump on the condition of “respect for Canadian sovereignty”.
Carney — who will be sworn in on Friday with his new cabinet — spoke to reporters at a steel factory in Hamilton, Ontario, on Wednesday as Canada announced retaliatory tariffs worth 29.8 billion Canadian dollars (€19.1bn) on US imports.
That move came after the Trump administration levied 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports. Canada is the biggest foreign supplier of these metals to the US.
The relationship between the neighbours and close allies has deteriorated dramatically since Trump took office in January. He has declared a trade war on Canada and called for the country to become the 51st US state, a position that has infuriated Canadians.
“I am ready to sit down with President Trump at the appropriate time under a position where there is respect for Canadian sovereignty and we are working for a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade,” Carney said on Wednesday.
Carney said workers in both countries will be better off when “the greatest economic and security partnership in the world is renewed, relaunched”.
“Today is a difficult day for Canada and the industry because of these unjustified tariffs that have been put on,” he added.
Canada’s reciprocal tariffs, which go into effect on Thursday, target steel and aluminium products, as well as goods including computers, sports equipment and water heaters.
“We don’t want to do this because we believe in open borders and free and fair trade, but we are doing this in response,” Carney said.
Canada’s new tariffs are in addition to its 25% counter tariffs on 30 billion Canadian dollars (€19.2bn) worth of imports from the US that were put in place on 4 March in response to other Trump tariffs that were partially delayed by a month.
Trump has said that those separate 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada are in retaliation for cross-border fentanyl smuggling and high taxes on dairy imports that supposedly penalise US farmers.
Speaking on Wednesday, Carney said he respected Trump’s concerns for American workers and about fentanyl.
Carney, who was elected leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party on Sunday, will replace Justin Trudeau as the country’s prime minister after nine years in power. In his victory speech, Carney said Canada would win the trade war against Trump.