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.
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. The United States has since announced additional restrictions on Canadian products. Mr. 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.
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.
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. He said the plan could raise tens of billions of dollars to reinvest in transportation and other infrastructure. “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.
He heads to Europe later on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), where he is scheduled to address the European Parliament.
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. “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.”
