Carney signals he's in no rush to speak with Trump after visit to U.K., France

Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled Tuesday he is in no rush to speak to his U.S. counterpart about the ongoing trade war between the two countries, saying a call will come at the "appropriate time."

Speaking to reporters in Iqaluit after returning from a two-day trip abroad, Carney said he's not consumed by what he diplomatically called Trump's "initiatives," or near-daily trade threats, saying his main focus is building up the Canadian economy so that it's more resilient to global economic challenges, including the American protectionist push.

Carney said Trump's tariff action has "called into the question the validity" of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and there's a need for a larger conversation with the Americans about resetting the entire bilateral relationship, something that will only happen when the time is right.

He said the "starting point" of an expected future call with Trump will be him reaffirming and reinforcing Canada's sovereignty, something the U.S. president has repeatedly threatened.

"I look forward to having, at the appropriate time, a discussion between two sovereign nations that is comprehensive and not targeted at one issue. There's a wide range of issues to be discussed when we do connect," Carney said.

Asked about former prime minister Justin Trudeau's assertion that Trump is trying to torpedo the Canadian economy to make it easier to annex, Carney said there are misconceptions about Canada's resilience in the U.S. and he's going to "disabuse that misconception."

He said that "Canada is strong and we're going to get stronger," and that America's trade wars with allies would weaken the U.S.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., said Sunday that Carney will speak to Trump at some point, but it won't happen right away.

"That conversation will come when the time is right," she said in an interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton Live.

While the president has made a series of what she called "disrespectful" comments about Canada, Hillman said Carney will take a "businesslike" approach to any call with the sometimes volatile Trump.

"We can't control President Trump's behaviour. We can control our behaviour," she said. "We can enter into these discussions and enter into this relationship from a position of confidence and strength."

Outside of preplanned summits, new prime ministers typically make a visit to the U.S. a top priority. For example, the last three prime ministers — Trudeau, Stephen Harper and Paul Martin — all went to the U.S. early in their tenure.

Carney has taken a different approach.

It was his idea to visit the U.K., France and then Nunavut on his first trip outside the nation's capital after being sworn in, government sources told CBC News, a deliberate nod to Canada's three founding peoples.