‘We Won’t Accept Your Terms’- Carney Defies Trump, Accuses US of Plot to Wipe Out Canadian Industries

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has drawn a hard line against the Trump administration, rejecting US trade demands he said could leave key Canadian industries weakened, absorbed by American companies or eventually wiped out.

• Carney said Washington must abandon its public taunts, social media attacks and “tough” rhetoric before Canada would consider returning to serious trade negotiations, accusing the US of undermining efforts to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

• The Canadian leader rejected US demands affecting the automobile industry, French-language and cultural protections, as well as Canada’s right to independently negotiate future free trade agreements with other countries.

• The escalating confrontation comes after trade talks collapsed on August 21, with Trump imposing 50 per cent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods and Canada preparing retaliatory tariffs on nearly $20 billion of US products from September 8.

September 02, () — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected what he described as unacceptable trade demands from the United States, accusing the Donald Trump administration of pursuing an economic strategy that could leave key Canadian industries “gradually wound down” and ultimately wiped out.

Carney, who adopted an increasingly combative tone toward Washington on Tuesday, said Canada would not accept a trade agreement that undermined its industries, cultural protections or sovereignty, even as the Trump administration continues to pile pressure on Ottawa.

“We’re not going to — of course, we’re not going to accept those terms,” Carney said, referring to the conditions put forward by Washington during the now-collapsed trade negotiations.

The prime minister said the US proposals could effectively turn Canadian industries into subsidiaries of American companies or impose conditions under which businesses would gradually cease operating in Canada.

Carney said the United States had sought an “uncompetitive” arrangement affecting strategic sectors, including Canada’s automobile industry, while also pushing changes involving French-language and cultural protections.

He maintained that any one of those issues would have been sufficient to prevent Canada from accepting the proposed agreement.

Carney: Stop The ‘Memes’ And ‘Tough Talk’

Despite his rejection of the US terms, Carney said Canada remained open to resuming negotiations if Washington demonstrated a genuine willingness to engage.

He, however, delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump and his administration over the barrage of social media attacks and public statements directed at Canada since the trade negotiations broke down on August 21.

“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney said.

His comments came after Trump intensified his public campaign against Canada, including his move to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” and repeated social media taunts directed at Ottawa.

The US president has also repeatedly advocated making Canada the 51st state of the United States, a proposition firmly rejected by successive Canadian leaders.

The trade confrontation was further inflamed by a social media post from US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who mocked the Canadian military.

Hegseth posted an image on Monday showing two female cadets at a training centre in British Columbia, alongside the words “this is real” and a Canadian flag.

Carney condemned the post as inappropriate, describing it as “beneath their office.”

The Pentagon declined to distance itself from the post on Tuesday, saying: “The X post speaks for itself.”

The exchange has added a diplomatic and military dimension to the already tense trade dispute, with Canadian officials increasingly pushing back against what Ottawa sees as Washington’s belittling of the country.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also warned that Canada could not go “tit for tat” with the United States, pointing to the much larger size of the American economy.

Tariff War Deepens

The trade dispute has entered a dangerous phase following the collapse of negotiations on August 21. Trump subsequently imposed 50 per cent tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.

Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs covering nearly $20 billion in US products, with duties ranging from 15 per cent to 50 per cent. The Canadian measures are scheduled to take effect on September 8.