- By Talibuddin Khan
- Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:30 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US-Canada News: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) dialled Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and "had a productive conversation", announcing that the two leaders will be meeting after Canada's snap elections late next month. The "productive" phone call came hours after Carney said that the "US is not a reliable trade partner now", criticising Trump's fresh tariff announcement and vowing a "harsher" response to the new import duties that will be imposed starting April 2.
"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who called Trump's tariff threats a "direct attack" on the country and vowed to defend Canadian workers and companies, also acknowledged the "constructive conversation" saying that the two leaders have agreed to renewed trade negotiations.
A readout by the Prime Minister's Office said that PM Carney has told President Trump that "he will move ahead with retaliatory tariffs if the US imposes auto tariffs next week," CBC reported. "The prime minister told the president that he would be working hard for the next month to earn the right to represent Canada in those discussions," the readout said.
Carney said that the two leaders had agreed to initiate comprehensive negotiations on a new economic and security partnership immediately following the April 28 election. Carney on Thursday pledged to transform Canada’s economy, reducing its reliance on the United States.
The US and Canada have historically maintained a strong alliance and trading relationship. However, tensions escalated after Trump took office in January, disrupting ties with tariff threats and remarks about annexing Canada.
US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks, set to take effect next week, further intensifying the global trade war he reignited after returning to the White House this year. The move has drawn criticism from key international leaders and industry figures.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged that while his company is not directly targeted, the tariffs will significantly impact the cost of parts sourced from other countries, making the price increase "not trivial."
"Important to note that Tesla is not unscathed here. The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant. "This will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries. The cost impact is not trivial," Musk said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba questioned the logic of applying uniform tariffs to all nations, highlighting Japan’s huge investments in the US. "Japan is a country that is making the largest amount of investment to the United States, so we wonder if it makes sense for (Washington) to apply uniform tariffs to all countries. That is a point we've been making and will continue to do so," Ishiba said.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron pointed out the inconsistency in Trump's policies, noting that while the US urges Europe to boost defence spending, it simultaneously imposes trade restrictions.
"Trump asked Europe to spend more on defence so not coherent to impose tariffs on us. Will work with EU on looking at how to protect sectors," Macron stated.