TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for a new partnership with the United States on Thursday, just weeks before President Donald Trump decides on whether to renew the free trade agreement between the countries.
Carney said in a speech at the Economic Club of New York that there should be a 鈥渢rue partnership鈥� that re-imagines cooperation in specific sectors challenged by global competition.
He made the remarks ahead of the mandatory review of , in July.
Carney said Canada is from the U.S. and signing trade deals with dozens of countries around the world.
鈥淥ur core objective across these partnerships is to increase our strategic autonomy. Because we live in a world where integration has been weaponised. Because a country that cannot feed, fuel or defend itself is not truly sovereign,鈥� Carney said.
Trump鈥檚 actions 鈥� including launching and suggesting Canada become the 51st U.S. state 鈥� have infuriated Canadians and created the political environment for Carney to win the job of prime minister after promising to confront Trump.
The Canadian prime minister has emerged as a spokesman for a movement for countries to find ways to link up and under Trump. Carney has set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American tariffs are causing a chill in investment.
鈥淐anada Strong will help make America great again. The examples are legion where we should work together and compete with the world together. And to those ends, we have made specific, practical proposals to the US Administration,鈥� Carney said.
Canada has been protected by the heaviest impact of Trump鈥檚 tariffs by the but that trade agreement is up for a review and certain key sectors like aluminum and steel have been hit hard by tariffs.
The prime minister noted Canadian aluminum exports to the U.S. are the energy equivalent of 10 Hoover dams and that it doesn鈥檛 make sense to replace Canada.
鈥淲ith America鈥檚 growing energy needs, does it make sense to build the Gigawatts needed to replace Canada?鈥� Carney said.
He also noted that on automobiles, Canada is America鈥檚 biggest customer, and 鈥渁n integrated North American market for production is the best and most durable way to confront intense global competition.鈥�
Carney also said on critical minerals, with its vast reserves of potash, nickel, copper and uranium, Canada can be the most reliable supplier that America needs to put affordable food on the table, to strengthen its national defence and meet exploding demand to power AI.
鈥淎t a time of a global energy crisis, Canada provides the United States with the reliable power and critical minerals that help fuel American growth: 99% of U.S. natural gas imports, 85% of electricity imports and 60% of crude oil imports,鈥� Carney said.
Carney said Canada is America鈥檚 largest customer, buying more goods than China, Japan and the Germany combined.
鈥淲hen Canada and the United States have had our differences over the years, we have always 鈥� eventually 鈥� worked through them, because our shared values and common interests run deep. They run through our economies,鈥� he said.
Carney also met with representatives of BlackRock, JP Morgan Chase, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley and Apollo while in New York.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada鈥檚 minister for U.S. trade, is heading to Washington next week for talks. LeBlanc has previously warned that the free trade agreement could be subject to annual review and that uncertainty could be the objective of the Trump administration.
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