{"id":15208,"date":"2025-02-05T17:43:50","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/carney-says-canada-must-change-major-trade-partners-amid-trump-threats-national\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T17:43:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:43:50","slug":"carney-says-canada-must-change-major-trade-partners-amid-trump-threats-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/carney-says-canada-must-change-major-trade-partners-amid-trump-threats-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Carney says Canada \u2018must change\u2019 major trade partners amid Trump threats – National"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Liberal leadership contender Mark Carney<\/a> wants Canada to look beyond the United States to bolster its roster of trade partners amid ongoing tariff threats from President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

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He also teased tax cuts for middle-class Canadians and accelerated plans to meet NATO defence spending targets if his campaign to become Liberal leader and the next prime minister is successful.<\/p>\n

Carney, speaking in Windsor, Ont., in front of the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Wednesday, said Canada should remain \u201cclosely integrated\u201d with the U.S. in sectors such as automotive, energy and security where the North American neighbours have strong ties.<\/p>\n

But he said, \u201cnow that U.S. priorities are shifting, we need to change our priorities in ways that work best for Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know we shouldn\u2019t put all our eggs in one basket,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can and must change our major trading partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Carney said Canada ought to diversify its trading relationships with countries that \u201cshare our values,\u201d and named the United Kingdom, the European Union and \u201cleaders in Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited emerging industries such as clean energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence as sectors where Canada can install itself as a trusted partner for overseas economies.<\/p>\n

He said Canada should expand existing supply chain infrastructure, such as ports, railways and trucking corridors, to help reach more global markets.<\/p>\n

The calls come amid looming threats of a trade war with the U.S., Canada\u2019s largest trading partner.<\/p>\n

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that Canada had secured a 30-day pause on Trump\u2019s pending tariffs<\/a>, which had been set to take effect on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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Canada has reiterated pledges for $1.3 billion in spending to secure the border and promised to install a \u201cfentanyl czar\u201d to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.<\/p>\n

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Former Liberal cabinet ministers Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould, two of Carney\u2019s opponents in the Liberal leadership race, have called for a \u201cBuy Canadian\u201d response to offset the impact of looming tariffs.<\/p>\n

Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla, another candidate for the Liberal leadership, has called for diversified trading relationships with China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and others to \u201creduce reliance on a single market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carney on Wednesday also emphasized the need to increase trade ties within Canada, calls echoed by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and other Canadian officials.<\/p>\n

Federal Trade Minister Mary Ng said this week that Canada\u2019s freshly inked trade agreement with Ecuador<\/a> is proof that Ottawa\u2019s trade diversification strategy is already paying dividends.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tCarney teases tax cut, restoring EV incentives\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n