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Mark Carney is seeking a re-election in the April 28 polls in Canada. He has said that Trump is the greatest risk to Canadian economy.
Canada’s Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump (Reuters Image)
As the effects of Donald Trump’s tariff war begin to show globally, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (local time) said that the current US president poses the biggest risk to the North American country’s economy.
His remarks came while speaking during a televised debate in Montreal with his Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, left-wing New Democratic Party leader and former Liberal Party ally Jagmeet Singh, and Quebec separatist Bloc Québécois head Yves-François Blanchet, ahead of the voting for the new Prime Minister on April 28.
He stressed on the cooperation among Canadian provinces to stand strong against the US trade war.
Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on various countries were rolled out on April 2, however, within days, he announced a 90-day pause on them after markets witnessed a huge crash globally. He said that several countries are willing to negotiate a trade deal to avoid the reciprocal tariffs.
During the debate, Jagmeet Singh said that there was a need for a strategic response to the tariffs.
Carney is running to retain his Prime Ministership after he replaced Justin Trudeau on March 14. On the face of Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state of the US and the ongoing trade war, the campaign of the leaders focuses largely on how they would stand up to Trump’s demands.
Poilievre, too, has vowed to fight against Trump’s harsh steps; however, he also lashed out at former Prime Minister Trudeau, accusing the administration of having weak economic policies that left Canada vulnerable to the US.
Carney has reiterated that Canada’s reciprocal tariffs on over C$60 billion worth of imports from the US will be intact until Trump backs down on his tariffs.
The incumbent Prime Minister has also vowed that his new government, if formed, will chalk out a fresh relationship with the US in terms of economy and security.
The Conservatives are mulling a deal according to which both the US and Canada would drop their tariffs and retaliatory duties on each other.
