Prime Minister Mark Carney told his negotiators to walk away from the table after the Trump administration introduced late unacceptable demands on culture, autos and sovereignty that, when taken in concert with their overall approach to talks, revealed the U.S. was not interested in a “true economic partnership” with Canada.
In a departure from his usual diplomatic language, Carney suggested the U.S. sometimes signs trade deals in “pencil,” and while Canada’s government is united and working together, the same is not true of the Trump administration.
“We cannot accept what they’ve offered, and we will not give what they’ve asked,” Carney said on Saturday in Ottawa, adding that the United States ‘asked too much and offered too little.’
The prime minister revealed that the U.S. had issues with Canada’s subsidies for French culture; the prevalence of French-language media online and even the requirement to have bilingual labels on products sold in Canada.
“It was unacceptable right from the start, but the Americans kept trying and trying and we said no,” Carney said. “Ultimately it’s simple. That was never on the table for Canada and it would not have been acceptable to Canadians.”
WATCH | Carney outlines last-minute changes U.S. tacked onto trade deal terms:
Carney outlines the last-minute changes U.S. tacked onto trade deal terms
Asked for specifics of the Americans’ last-minute changes to terms of a trade deal, Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined three examples. » Read More
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