Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has refuted claims that he retracted his statements made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, during a recent conversation with President Donald Trump.
Carney, on Tuesday, told CBC, “To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos.” He also mentioned that he and Trump had a “very good conversation” covering various topics, including Arctic security, and the situations in Ukraine and Venezuela.
The Canadian PM further stated that he informed Trump about Canada’s support for the new direction in American trade policy, the details of the trade deal with China, and the country’s 12 new deals on four continents in six months.
“He was impressed,” stated Carne,y referring to the U.S. president.
The pair also discussed the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and Canada’s plans to use this review to forge new relationships in the U.S., according to Carney.
Carney Refutes Bessent’s Claims
Carney’s response comes as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday that the Canadian Prime Minister backtracked on remarks he made at the World Economic Forum during a call with Trump, which Bessent witnessed in the Oval Office.
In Davos, Carney said the U.S.-led global order has ended and warned that middle powers like Canada must unite or risk being overpowered by larger nations.
US–Canada Tensions Escalate Over Trade
The conversation between Carney and Trump follows a series of escalating tensions between the two countries. Trump recently threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian imports due to Canada’s trade agreement with China. He accused Canada of serving as a “Drop Off Port” for Chinese goods entering the U.S.
Earlier, Trump had withdrawn the invitation for Canada to join his “Board of Peace” after Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The details of Canada’s joining, including financial terms, were still under negotiation at the time of the withdrawal.
These events have led to a deepening diplomatic rift between the U.S. and Canada. Amid this, China strategist Michael Pillsbury warned that Canada’s trade deal with China and Carney’s decision to bypass Trump could have severe consequences for the country.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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