Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) that Canada intends to emerge from its trade war with the United States as a more resilient and independent economy, signalling that Ottawa is prepared to wait for the right conditions rather than rush into a deal with Washington.

“And to our American friends, let me say this. We will always be neighbours,” PM Carney told hundreds of global investors gathered in Toronto for his Canada Investment Summit.

But he said the relationship works when the two countries engage as “true partners that respect each other’s traditions and sovereignty.” “When those opportunities return, Canada will be an even better partner — stronger, more resilient, more independent,” he said.

Mr. Carney also announced that Ottawa will seek private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada’s four largest airports, while retaining public ownership of the land and assets. He said the plan could raise tens of billions of dollars to reinvest in transportation and other infrastructure.

Without naming US President Donald Trump, Carney then took aim at the increasingly transactional and zero-sum approach to international economic relationships that has characterised Trump’s trade policies.

“Our reputation — as a reliable, predictable partner — has rarely been more valuable in a world where transactions are replacing relationships, and zero-sum is favoured over win-win,” Mr. Carney said.

PM Carney said economic integration and national sovereignty are increasingly in tension, arguing that countries seeking to preserve their independence need to work more closely with like-minded partners. He heads to Europe later on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), where he is scheduled to address the European Parliament.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly used tariffs to pressure trading partners and pressed manufacturers to shift production and investment south of the Canadian border. He has also repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. State, comments that have further strained relations between the longtime allies.

But Mr. Carney noted that about 80% of the trade with the U.S. remains tariff-free.

“There is a mutually beneficial arrangement that can be had,” Mr. Carney said in a fireside chat after his speech. “When it is the right time to strike that deal, we’ll be ready to do that.”

Trade talks between Canada and the United States collapsed last month before Washington imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, prompting retaliation from Ottawa. The United States has since announced additional restrictions on Canadian products.

PM Carney suggested Canada cannot build its strategy around a return to the old relationship. “We know that nostalgia is not a strategy,” he said.

Mr. Carney also joked about the uneasy state of the U.S.-Canada relationship, contrasting a ceremonial key he once received from his hometown of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, with a box of gold keys to the White House that Mr. Trump later gave him.

Mr. Carney said Mr. Trump told him that if he brought the key, “They’ll let you in,” before adding: “Maybe they’ll shoot you.” “And that sort of sums up the relationship.”

“In Canada, you get the key. In the US, they might shoot you,” he added.

Canada and China are forging a ​new strategic partnership that stands ‌to yield “historic” gains by leveraging ​on the strengths of each, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday (January 16, 2026).

The first Canadian Prime Minister to visit China since 2017, Mr. Carney was on ​a mission to rebuild ties ⁠with Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States, following months of diplomatic efforts to ​resolve earlier tension.

“It is ⁠important to start this new strategic partnership at a time of division,” Mr. Carney told Mr. Xi, calling for ‌focus on areas that can bring “historic ‌gains” for both, such as agriculture, agri-food, energy, and finance.

“That ‍is where I believe we can make immediate and sustained progress,” he ‍added.

Canada is looking to strengthen ties with the world’s second-biggest economy after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on some of its goods and suggested the longtime U.S. ally could become the country’s 51st state.

China, ⁠similarly hit by Mr. Trump’s tariffs since he returned to the ​White House last year, is also ⁠keen to cooperate with a Group of Seven nation in a traditional sphere of U.S. influence.

Canada and India are close to finalizing an export agreement in a deal valued at about $2.8 billion, the Globe and Mail reported on Monday (November 24, 2025), citing people familiar with the matter.

The deal for Canada to ship uranium to India would run for 10 years if finalized, the report said, adding that uranium would be supplied by Canada’s Cameco Corp. The deal could be part of a broader nuclear cooperation effort between the two countries, the report said.

The Centre, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Canadian government and Canada’s Trade Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a discussion on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday.

The Centre said on Sunday that the two countries agreed to restart stalled talks for a new trade deal, after discussions had paused following a diplomatic spat two years ago.

“The leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030,” the statement from India’s Prime Minister’s Office said.