Carney to meet Trump as Canada seeks tariff relief and new markets

Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday for working talks focused on trade and security as Ottawa seeks relief from a wave of U.S. tariffs and simultaneously pursues new trade ties abroad. The visit comes as Canada grapples with sustained duties on key exports and as the government moves to diversify markets, including a recently signed trade pact with Indonesia.

U.S. tariffs affecting Canadian exports to the United States remain in place for steel, aluminum, autos and lumber, sectors that Ottawa says have been particularly hard hit. Carney’s office has highlighted that most bilateral trade remains tariff-free under the Canada United States Mexico Agreement, with roughly 85 percent of Canadian exports to the United States exempt from new levies. Nevertheless, the government has sought sector-specific and broader solutions to remove or reduce duties that have contributed to job losses and prompted federal support measures for affected industries.

Officials from both countries have launched consultations ahead of next year’s joint review of the trade agreement, and Canadian negotiators are pursuing a two-track approach. Trade...