Prime Minister Carney Tells Trump Canada is 'Not for Sale'

What Happened?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited President Donald Trump on Tuesday for an Oval Office meeting that many viewed as controversial.

Not long after the two sat down, President Trump called the border ‘artificial’ that divides the two countries.

It's a remark that picks at Trump’s widely advertised idea that Canada would become the 51st state of the United States.

Carney quickly rejected those remarks and emphatically stated that Canada is 'not for sale' and that the country 'won't be for sale, ever.'

He added that the opportunity is in the partnership that the U.S. and Canada can build together.

Although Canada is America’s second-biggest trading partner and one of its closest allies, Trump’s real estate developer mindset still sees a different vision.

'When you get rid of that artificially drawn line ... when you look at that beautiful formation when it's together, I'm a very artistic person,' he told Oval Office reporters.

Trump's assessment was 'never say never' in response to Canada becoming another U.S. state.

But the meeting's purpose was more focused on economic factors that surround tariff implications amid Trump's policy moves.

Why it Matters

Canada and the U.S. have reportedly shared free trade for decades.

Despite Trump's tariff moves to help strengthen America's international position, he had previously scaled back on products aligned with the USMCA Trade Agreement.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business on Monday that while a deal with Canada is possible, it would be 'very complex.'

The president’s primary goals focus on shifting more production to the U.S.

A 25% tariff is still in place for Canadian imported goods that do not comply with the USMCA.

He said the move was Canada's punishment for allowing the entrance of fentanyl and migrants into the U.S. last year.

Trump also imposed 25% tariffs on all cars, steel, auto parts, and aluminum, which has left a heavy imprint on GDP estimates.

The U.S. economy experienced its worst quarter since 2022 after a study unveiled gross domestic product registered at an annualized rate of -0.3% in the first quarter.

It marked the first decline in three years and was much worse than experts previously projected.

Trump insists the U.S. economy will get back on track while maintaining tariff measures.

'We don't need their cars, we don't need their energy, we don't need their lumber, we don't need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain,' Trump said on Truth Social ahead of Carney's visit. ‘They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!'

How it Affects You

Ontario Premier Doug Ford previously told reporters that Canada would not be removing any of its retaliatory tariff measures unless all the U.S. tariffs were removed.

The Trump administration claims 200 tariff deals have been made and expects negotiations to conclude.

As Canada embraces its new prime minister, it will be key to see what measures Carney takes with the U.S. to restore its relationship.

The effects could resolve the lingering hold over the economy and help de-escalate other tensions that have fueled an ongoing trade war.