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Mark Carney tells Trump officials to ‘start being serious’ as US-Canada trade war escalates

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized US officials and urged Washington to adopt a more serious approach to trade talks.
  • The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods, while Canada plans retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of US goods from September 8.
  • Trade negotiations collapsed after disagreements over demands, negotiating authority and issues including language rights in Quebec.

Mark Carney has told Donald Trump’s administration to stop trading insults for negotiations and “start being serious” as a new round of tariffs threatens commerce between Canada and the United States.

Days before Canada is due to impose retaliatory duties on $20 billion of American goods, the Canadian prime minister criticized US officials for insulting his country. “It is beneath their office,” he said.

start being serious

— Mark CarneyCarney urged US officials to take trade discussions seriously.

“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney said. Canada’s measures are scheduled to begin on September 8, after the United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods.

It is beneath their office

— Mark CarneyCarney criticized US officials for insulting Canada.

The dispute has become increasingly personal. Trump signed an executive order last week directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, a move Canadians have rejected. Trump has also said Canada wants the benefits of being a US state without actually becoming one, while accusing Canadian leaders of imposing tariffs on American farmers.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the breakdown was more damaging to Canada than to the United States and argued that Canada was more vulnerable. He told Politico that “there are no negotiations happening on trade right now” and questioned whether Canada wanted a deal. Greer said Canadian requests, including lighter taxes on heavy-duty trucks, helped derail the talks.

When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions

— Mark CarneyCarney described the conditions he said would allow trade talks to resume.

Canadian officials blamed the collapse on a White House dispute over who controlled the negotiations. Carney also said American negotiators viewed the French language in Canada as an “irritant,” adding: “In Quebec, these are rights.” Greer said the talks may have broken down because the sides misunderstood what was on the table, but he added that he was unsure whether the dispute was political or economic.

In Quebec, these are rights

— Mark CarneyCarney responded to claims that Canadian French-language protections had become an irritant in negotiations.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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