Carney Says US Economic Ties Now a Vulnerability to Fix

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address released Sunday that Canada's close economic ties to the United States, long considered a strength, have become vulnerabilities that must be corrected as the relationship between the two countries deteriorates. The Prime Minister, whose Liberal Party secured a parliamentary majority last week, delivered a 10-minute pre-recorded message in which he acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs have severely impacted Canadian workers in the auto, steel and aluminum industries, and that businesses are holding back investments due to economic uncertainty. Carney referenced Canada's successful resistance to U.S. invasion during the War of 1812, holding up a toy soldier depicting General Isaac Brock, who died defending what is now Canada, as well as Chief Tecumseh, who united Indigenous nations to resist U.S. expansion. He emphasized that while the current situation feels unique, Canada has faced similar threats before. The Prime Minister noted that Canada sends nearly 70 percent of its exports to the United States and that the trilateral U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade treaty is due for review this year, with U.S. officials signaling they want major changes to the agreement. The Prime Minister promised to give regular addresses to Canadians in the coming weeks and months to update them on his government's efforts to grow the economy and defend sovereignty, saying he would "never sugar-coat" the challenges ahead. Carney also referenced U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's comments last week calling Canada a difficult trading partner. Trump has repeatedly suggested making Canada the 51st U.S. state, a notion that has angered many Canadians.