Carney warns Canada's close US ties are now a 'weakness' that must be corrected

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has delivered a stark message to Canadians: the country's once-vaunted economic relationship with the United States has become a liability. In a 10-minute video address released on Sunday, Carney said the US has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising tariffs to levels not seen since the Great Depression, and warned that Canada must correct course.

Coverage Comparison

The video address, broadcast across multiple international outlets including Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, The Guardian, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu, presented a broadly uniform picture of Carney's message. All five sources that covered the remarks in detail quoted the prime minister as saying that "many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become weaknesses."

The address was Carney's most direct acknowledgment to date of the seismic shift in Canada-US relations under President Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles, and has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state.

Key Claims

Carney delivered his remarks against a backdrop of escalating trade tensions. He said the US has "basically changed its approach to trade," raising tariffs to levels not seen since the early 20th century, and that these measures have directly affected workers in Canada's car and steel industries. He also noted that uncertainty over trade policy is causing businesses to hold back investments.

In remarks reported by all sources, Carney said: "The world is more dangerous and divided. The US has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression."

The prime minister also addressed Trump's comments about annexing Canada, which have angered many Canadians. While not directly confronting the president by name, Carney said that "security can't be achieved by ignoring the obvious or downplaying the very real threats that we Canadians face," and promised not to "sugarcoat" the country's challenges.

The video was released just days after Carney's Liberal Party secured a majority in special elections, a result that analysts say strengthens his hand in dealing with Washington. The country is due to review the US-Mexico-Canada free trade treaty this year, and US officials have signaled they want major changes to the pact.

Perspectives

Carney's remarks reflect a growing consensus among Canadian political and economic analysts that the country can no longer depend on a single trading partner. Al Jazeera reported that Carney has used Trump's attacks on allies to refocus Canadian foreign policy, deepening relationships with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other like-minded nations. This shift, according to experts quoted in that report, has been accompanied by a rise in Carney's approval ratings.

One political analyst, Brett House of the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, told Al Jazeera that Carney's approach has been marked by resolve in the face of unpredictable US behavior. “The most notable aspect of the last year was both a bullet dodged and a savvy bit of statecraft to avoid a rush to do a deal on trade and invest with the US the way many other countries did," House said.

Carney's comments come amid a broader reassessment of Canada's place in the world. The country sends roughly 70 percent of its exports to the US, a dependence that Carney described as a vulnerability rather than a strength. He announced plans to give Canadians regular updates on his government's efforts to diversify trade partnerships.

The video also included a symbolic moment: Carney held up a toy soldier depicting General Isaac Brock, a British commander who fought US forces during the War of 1812. “The situation today feels unique, but we’ve faced down threats like this before,” he said.

The response from Washington to Carney's address was not immediately available. Trump had previously mocked Carney after his January speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, saying: “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements."

Observers note that the standoff over tariffs has already had concrete consequences. In response to US levies, Canadian provinces have pulled American liquor from shelves, and an informal boycott of travel to the US has taken hold among Canadians. The coming months are expected to bring tense negotiations over the trade agreement, with Carney positioning himself as a leader ready to defend Canadian interests in a rapidly changing global order.