Trump Says ‘We’ll See’ on Resuming Trade Negotiations With Ottawa

Trump said “we’ll see” when he was questioned by reporters over the weekend about whether he planned to re-start the trade talks he halted with Ottawa this fall.

“The problem is, Canada makes a lot of things that we don’t need because we make them also,” Trump said, while speaking with reporters outside a gala for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors.

“We’ll work it out,” he added, noting that he has a positive relationship with Prime Minister Mark Carney despite Canada being “very tough traders.”

He and Carney appeared cordial while sitting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during the FIFA World Cup draw on Dec. 5, prior to the three leaders entering a private meeting.

Trump didn’t offer specifics when asked about the meeting.

“We spoke for a half-hour. Very good, very productive. [We] talked mostly trade,” Trump said. “I have a great relationship with Canada.”

He described Canada as a “special place,” adding that “they really are good at ice hockey, aren’t they?”

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a media statement after the Dec. 5 meeting, which also happened at the Kennedy Center, that the leaders agreed to keep working on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade.

It was the first private meeting between Carney and Trump since the U.S. president ended trade talks with Ottawa in October.

The president suspended trade negotiations after an Ontario-sponsored an anti-tariff ad on U.S. networks featuring excerpts from a 1987 radio address by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Trump has said the advertising campaign distorted Reagan’s position on tariffs and aimed to influence a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding his administration’s application of tariffs, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford maintained that the ads were both accurate and impactful.

There appeared to be an increase in momentum regarding trade discussions between Ottawa and the White House prior to Ontario’s ad. Trump and Carney had met in Washington for a second time and the prime minister hinted after the Oct. 7 meeting that there was a good possibility of agreements being forged for the metals and energy industries.

Tariffs and Trade

Canada’s economy has been hit hard in recent months amid several tariffs leveraged on industry by Trump, as well as a blanket tariff on all Canadian goods that are not covered by the existing trade agreement.

The president raised tariffs on Canadian products not included in the USMCA to 35 percent in August, while still granting extensions to Mexico, which is facing 25 percent tariffs. Both countries have been hit by Trump’s sectoral tariffs on steel, aluminum, automobiles, lumber, and copper.

The USMCA enters its mandatory review period next year. Trump mused last week that he may allow the deal to die, saying Canada and Mexico “have taken advantage of the United States.”

“We’ll either let it expire or we’ll maybe work out another deal with Mexico and Canada,” Trump told reporters in the White House on Dec. 3.

The trade agreement was established during Trump’s first term in office to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump referred to the USMCA as “the best and most important trade deal ever made by the U.S.A.” when it was ratified, but has appeared to change his stance during his second term as president.

Trump now says the trade pact was a “transitional” deal that may have served its purpose.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.