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Carney reports constructive trade talk with Trump before US midterms

Associated Press reports Carney described a constructive call with Trump on a possible deal, while saying Wednesday the countries were not yet positioned to reach one before the midterms.

Updated Nov 1, 2026 · 23:23 UTC5 reports

The short version

  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday he had a constructive conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump about a potential trade deal.[Associated Press]
  • Carney said the talks build on recent discussions about a deal meant to create jobs, lower costs, and protect Canadian sovereignty and culture.[Associated Press]
  • The dispute escalated in August when Canada walked away from talks, and Trump later imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, prompting retaliation.[Associated Press]
  • Negotiators will work in the coming weeks toward an agreement, but Carney said Wednesday the countries were not yet positioned to reach one before the midterms.[Associated Press]

Key facts

  • Carney said Sunday he had a constructive conversation with Trump about a potential trade deal.[Associated Press]
  • Carney said the conversation built on recent discussions about a deal intended to create jobs, lower costs for families, and protect Canada's languages, culture, and sovereignty.[Associated Press]
  • In August, Canada walked away from negotiations after rejecting U.S. demands that Carney said threatened Canadian sovereignty, French-language protections, and the auto industry.[Associated Press]
  • Trump imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods in response to the stalled talks, prompting Canadian retaliation.[Associated Press]
  • Carney said Wednesday the countries were not yet in a position to reach an agreement before the Tuesday midterm elections.[Associated Press]
  • Canada and the European Union launched a new economic and security alliance on Friday as Carney pursues a goal of doubling Canadian exports outside the United States over the next decade.[Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether negotiators will reach an agreement, and on what terms, remains unknown; the reporting describes only Carney's stated expectations.[Associated Press]
  • Carney's upbeat characterization of the talks is his own account and is not independently confirmed in the reporting, which comes from a single outlet.[Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.