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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that “Canada is not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever” during a pointed exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump in his Oval Office on May 6, 2025.

Trump and Carney had their first one-on-one meeting since Carney won the election on April 28. Carney, a renowned banker and economist by profession, had promised to take a strong stance against Trump during his campaign.

Carney criticized Trump’s tough trade policies and provocative comments, which have put pressure on the previously strong relationship between the two countries.

Diplomatic theater

In the White House, Trump greeted Carney with praise, calling him “a very talented person” and referring to his recent election win as “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine.”

Carney returned the compliment, calling Trump a “transformational president” with “a relentless focus on the American worker, securing your border, and securing the world.” He went further, crediting Trump with having “revitalized NATO.”

However, pleasantries gave way to policy friction when Trump floated the idea of a “wonderful marriage” that would incorporate Canada into the United States. The proposal was neither new nor taken lightly.

Carney’s response was swift and unequivocal: “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” he told Trump, a former property magnate.

He likened Canada to iconic symbols of sovereignty like the Oval Office and Buckingham Palace. “Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.” Unfazed, Trump quipped, “Never say never.”

“It’s a great honor to have Prime Minister @MarkJCarney with us. A few days ago, he won a very big election in Canada. And I think Canada chose a very talented person.” –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/1HJZlMm9tc

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 6, 2025

US-Canada trade tensions

The meeting unfolded against the backdrop of significant trade tensions. Trump has imposed sweeping 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods and has targeted specific sectors such as automotive imports. Although some tariffs have been suspended, the strain on cross-border commerce remains acute.

Asked during the meeting whether Carney could say anything to convince him to lift the tariffs, Trump was blunt: “No. It’s just the way it is. This was a very friendly conversation,” he added. “But we want to make our own cars.”

Tense diplomacy

Trump reiterated familiar grievances, accusing Canada of insufficient efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and claiming American taxpayers effectively subsidize Canada’s defense. He also dismissed the importance of trade deals, remarking: “We don’t have to sign deals, they have to sign deals with us. They want a piece of our market. We don’t want a piece of their market.”

Despite these barbs, Carney struck a pragmatic tone in a press conference held later at the Canadian Embassy. “I pressed the case,” Carney said regarding the tariffs. “I found [Trump] to be willing to have that negotiation. I think that’s the main thing. That doesn’t presuppose the outcome of the negotiation. There’ll be zigs and zags. Difficult aspects to it. But the prospect is there.”

The Canadian leader, however, stressed the need to distinguish “wish and reality” when it came to Trump’s statehood remarks. “He’s the president. He’s his own person,” Carney said. “He understands that we’re having a negotiation between sovereign nations.”

Carney also noted that he had again asked Trump to refrain from suggesting Canadian annexation. His position reflects a broader sentiment in Canada, where many voters supported his campaign out of concern over Trump’s perceived hostility and unpredictability.

During the campaign, Carney frequently positioned himself as the only candidate willing to push back against Trump’s economic coercion and what he termed “betrayals” of long-standing bilateral ties. In his victory speech, Carney declared that the once-special relationship with Washington was “over,” and called on Canadians to “fundamentally re-imagine our economy” for the Trump era.

The economic stakes remain high. In 2024, more than $760 billion in goods crossed the U.S.-Canada border, with Canada serving as the largest export market for U.S. goods and the second-largest overall trading partner after Mexico. Trump’s tariffs have disrupted key industries, including steel, aluminum, and automotive manufacturing, with ripple effects across North America.

The meeting also offered a contrast in diplomatic tone. Trump contrasted his encounter with Carney with his Oval Office meeting earlier this year with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also took a swipe at Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, with whom he shared a contentious relationship marked by frequent public disagreements.

Still, Trump struck a conciliatory note to end the meeting. “Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada,” he said.

With both leaders agreeing to continue discussions in the coming weeks, the tone of this first meeting suggests that while diplomatic decorum may be intact, significant policy rifts remain unresolved. Carney’s firm rebuttal of annexation talks and measured optimism on trade negotiations set the stage for a cautious but potentially constructive phase in U.S.-Canada relations.