Canada will have to “dramatically reduce” its reliance on the United States as the two countries’ relationship darkens, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned on Thursday, adding that the old bilateral relationship was “over.”
After holding a cabinet meeting to discuss Canada’s response to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs threats, Carney told reporters in Ottawa that he foresaw the coming of a “fundamentally different relationship” between the two countries.
“The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over,” he said.
“It’s clear the US is no longer a reliable partner. It is possible that with comprehensive negotiations, we could reestablish an element of confidence but there will be no going backwards,” the Canadian leader said, adding that future governments would have to grapple with the same changed dynamic.
“There’s even more to do, and that’s why I chose to go to France and the United Kingdom, two long-standing and reliable partners, friends and allies of Canada,” Carney said, referring to his first international trip as prime minister.
Hours before Carney spoke, Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform that Canada and the European Union would face “large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned,” if they work together to “do economic harm” to the US.
In Ottawa, Carney said that tariffs imposed by Washington, if permanent, would require “a broad renegotiation of our security and trade relationship with the United States.”
“We will need to dramatically reduce our reliance on the United States,” Carney continued. “We will need to pivot our trade relationships elsewhere, and we will need to do things previously thought impossible at speeds we haven’t seen in generations.”
Trump and Carney are expected to speak by phone in the coming days, he also said, noting that the White House had reached out regarding a call on Wednesday night. Though he has no plans to visit Washington, Carney – who became prime minister less than two weeks ago – said it is “possible” members of his cabinet may make the trip.