A high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Mark Carney at the G7 summit ended without a breakthrough on U.S.-Canada tariffs. While no deal was reached, Canadian officials say trade talks remain active and are making gradual progress.
A private meeting between Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit failed to produce a breakthrough on trade and tariff issues between Canada and the United States. A follow-up session between senior officials from both nations also ended without a resolution.
Despite the lack of immediate progress, Canadian officials insist the dialogue is moving forward.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the point person on trade talks with the U.S., stressed that negotiations remain active.
“Talks are not blocked,” LeBlanc said. “I would have liked it to be two weeks ago. I would have liked it to be in May. But that doesn’t mean we stop doing the work.”
LeBlanc declined to specify which sectors remain sticking points in Canada’s push to lift U.S. tariffs. Nor did he commit to a timeline for reaching a deal with the Trump administration. Still, he characterized the Trump-Carney exchange as a positive development.
“A large focus of that conversation was around trade and the tariffs that have been imposed and counterimposed,” he said. “We are confident, I think — positive — that we made progress.”
Canada has faced a string of US import taxes since Donald Trump returned to office, prompting renewed efforts to reset trade terms. Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said the country is pushing for the complete removal of tariffs and a return to stable trade relations.
“Our goal is to get the tariffs off, to get to a place of stability, and to then talk to the President about any kind of transformation that can take place between the two countries,” Hillman said.
Acknowledging the political reality in Washington, she added, “We have a President who is very convinced of the policy that he has around tariffs in order to achieve some of his policy goals. We are very convinced that applying that policy to Canada is actually detrimental to his overall goals and we are trying to get there with him and his officials so that they understand our perspective.”
During his meeting with Trump, Carney opted for a diplomatic tone, beginning his remarks by wishing the President a happy birthday and highlighting the symbolic importance of the summit.
“This year’s summit marks the 50th birthday of the G7,” Carney said. “And the G7 is nothing without US leadership, and so is your personal leadership, the leadership of the United States.”
He expressed his intention to work collaboratively with G7 partners, “with your leadership,” on key global issues including geopolitics, economic policy, and emerging technologies.
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This post was last modified on June 17, 2025 2:29 am
