Carney to speak with Trump today at high-stakes White House meeting

Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet his U.S. counterpart Tuesday for a high-stakes White House meeting — a face-to-face that comes as bilateral relations are at their lowest point in decades and with a trade war raging.

Carney triumphed in last week's election in part because of his promise to steadfastly defend Canada in the face of President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs and his 51st state taunts.

Now, the country is expecting Carney to deliver some signs of progress and show that his new Liberal government may be able to bring this fractious era to a close.

Carney has set low expectations for this meeting, suggesting it may be a while yet before the two countries can craft a new economic and security arrangement now that he says the last one is "over."

"I'm not pretending these discussions will be easy. They won't proceed in a straight line, there will be zigs and zags, ups and downs," he told reporters late last week.

Asked on Monday what he expects from the meeting, Trump said he didn't know.

"He's coming to see me. I'm not sure what he wants to see me about, but I guess he wants to make a deal. Everybody does," Trump said.

A senior Canadian government official, speaking to CBC News on background ahead of the meeting, said this is the first of what will likely be more meetings between the leaders as the two sides start the work of crafting a new partnership.

Carney has some alone time scheduled with the president, beyond the glare of the TV lights, and it's there that the work of getting acquainted and improving relations will begin, the official said.

Laura Dawson is a Canada-U.S. relations expert and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition.

She said there may not be a satisfactory end to these trade tensions until Carney and his team broker a new Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) with Trump, which is up for review next year.

While it may be painful to endure tariffs until then, Dawson said it's in Canada's best interest not to rush into a deal.

"Right now, Trump feels like he has all the cards. If we settle very, very quickly, it wouldn't be a good deal for Canada. You only get sharp and quick deals if the other side gives in," she said in an interview.

As part of the push to overhaul the relationship, Carney will be accompanied by three cabinet ministers who have been active on the Canada-U.S. file since relations went sideways after the presidential election last fall: International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.