US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had a “very productive” conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, even as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.

Advertisment

“I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada. It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The statement comes amid a deepening rift between the US and Canada, fuelled by Trump’s recent move to impose tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st state of the United States.

Speaking a day earlier, Carney criticised the US stance and questioned its reliability as an ally. “It is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner. It is possible that, with comprehensive negotiations, we will be able to restore some trust, but there will be no turning back,” he said.

Advertisment

Carney also stressed the need for Canada to reduce its trade dependence on its southern neighbour. “We will need to dramatically reduce our reliance on the United States. We will need to pivot our trade relationships elsewhere,” he added.

In response to the planned US tariffs on imported vehicles, Carney warned that Canada would retaliate. He temporarily paused his election campaign to take charge of a Cabinet committee focused on relations with the US.

“We will fight the US tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impacts here in Canada,” he stated.

Advertisment

(With inputs from agencies)