Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday rejected calls from Ontario Premier Doug Ford to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States, saying Canada should prioritize ongoing trade negotiations over escalation.
“There’s times to hit back and there’s times to talk, and right now is the time to talk,” Carney told reporters at a news conference in Toronto, where he briefed Ford on the status of trade talks with Washington.
The rebuff came two days after Ford delivered a forceful speech at the Empire Club of Canada, urging the prime minister to take a harder line with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“President Trump could agree to something one day and he’ll wake up and change his mind the next day, and you won’t even know what hit you,” Ford said Tuesday. “If he can’t get a deal, we have to hit back.”
Carney said Ottawa has launched “deep” and “intensive” negotiations with the US on several tariffed sectors, including energy, aluminum, and steel. The prime minister met with Ford at the premier’s Etobicoke home Thursday evening to discuss tariffs affecting the automotive, forestry, and manufacturing sectors.
The dispute comes amid mounting pressure on Canada’s economy from Trump’s trade policies. On Wednesday, automaker Stellantis announced plans to move Jeep Compass manufacturing from its Brampton, Ontario plant to a facility in Illinois — a move Carney called “a direct consequence” of U.S. tariffs.
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Canada’s automotive sector provides direct employment for 125,000 workers and supports an additional 500,000 jobs across related industries, according to government figures.
Carney, who became prime minister in March after winning the Liberal Party leadership in a landslide, won a federal election in April that observers characterized as a referendum on Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st US state. The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor has sought to balance defiance of Trump with diplomatic engagement.
The United States purchases over three-quarters of all Canadian exports. Trump has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Canadian steel and aluminum, 25% on autos, and additional duties on lumber and other sectors.
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-US trade, continued negotiations with senior US officials in Washington this week. Canada and the US will conduct a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.
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