Trade tensions temporarily on backburner as PM visits Washington for FIFA celebration
CBC
When Prime Minister Mark Carney touches down in Washington on Friday morning, Canadian officials say this brief visit is all about celebrating FIFA soccer. Really, they insist.
Expectations for any sort of breakthrough that could see trade talks with the U.S. resume are low. At best, it seems there’s hope the prime minister might be able to have a warm moment or two with U.S. President Donald Trump and nudge things in a more positive direction.
CBC News spoke with two senior Canadian government officials with direct knowledge of the trip and the Prime Minister’s plans. Both have been granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Carney will represent Canada at the FIFA World Cup Final Draw Ceremony on Friday — a highly anticipated and complicated event that will determine matches, schedules and locations for next year’s tournament.
Standing alongside Carney during this two hour spectacle at the Kennedy Center will be his tournament co-hosts: U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
There is no understating the importance of this draw, and this tournament itself, which is considered one of the most important sporting events on the planet.
At the same time, it will be hard to overlook the political tensions of this moment.
Trump has hit his trading partners with punishing tariffs.
He’s also expected to try to squeeze concessions out of both Canada and Mexico during the upcoming review — and likely renegotiation — of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
On Wednesday, he casually floated the idea of leaving the three way trade agreement during an event in the Oval Office.
“And we’ll either let it expire, we’ll maybe work out another deal with Mexico and Canada,” he said as he claimed his trading partners take advantage of the U.S.
Tensions with Canada remain particularly difficult. Trump called off trade talks in October, after he was angered by an anti-tariff TV ad run by the province of Ontario.
One source tells CBC News that there’s an expectation Carney and Trump will have a quick moment to chat privately, though the source cautioned nothing is guaranteed.
The second source said that if there is an appropriate opportunity to bring up trade, Carney will likely take it, but emphasized this is an event to celebrate the upcoming tournament.
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