In his first trip to Washington after winning the presidency, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that President Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state would not be considered.
In a high-stakes meeting between the leaders of two nations whose once-close friendship has fallen apart due to a trade war and Mr. Trump's threats to Canada's sovereignty, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday that he would go to meet with President Trump next week.
In addition, Mr. Carney declared that King Charles III would make his first journey to Canada since his coronation two years ago later this month. Since Charles is also Canada's recognized head of state, observers view the trip announcement, which was also made public by Buckingham Palace, as a direct response to Mr. Trump's calls for Canada to become the 51st state.
Charles was requested to begin a new session of the Canadian Parliament on May 27 with a speech that "highlights Canada's sovereignty as a nation," according to Mr. Carney. The governor general, who represents the king in Canada, typically reads the opening address at the start of a new parliament, outlining the legislative program of the ruling party.
Mr. Carney remarked, "This is a historic honor that matches the weight of our times." The previous English monarch to do so was Queen Elizabeth, who delivered the speech in 1977.
Mr. Carney, as he has during the campaign, stated that the issue of joining the United States would not be discussed with Mr. Trump at their meeting on Tuesday.
"The Canadian people have clearly stated, virtually without exception, that this will never, ever happen," Mr. Carney said, noting that Mr. Trump did not mention statehood during a call between the leaders this week.
He stated that he expected to discuss a number of U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, including those on autos, auto parts, steel, and aluminum, which threaten tens of thousands of jobs. He added that military spending would be on the agenda.
"It will be a complex negotiation," Mr. Carney stated.
"I'm not pretending those discussions will be easy," the politician said. "They will not move in a straight line. "There will be zigzags, ups and downs."
Mr. Carney highlighted the fallout from Mr. Trump's tariffs by citing General Motors' news on Friday that it was lowering production at a pickup-truck assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario.
Unifor, the union that represents factory workers, predicts that the removal of one of the plant's shifts will result in the loss of around 2,200 jobs.
When Mr. Trump's auto tariffs went into force last month, Stellantis shut down a Windsor, Ontario, plant for two weeks, leaving roughly 3,500 workers idle. The company announced on Friday that it was closing the unit for an additional week.
Mr. Carney has imposed retaliatory tariffs on American automobiles in response to Mr. Trump's duties.
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