Carney Fires Back at US Over Trade Dispute: 'Stop Doing Memes'

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has fired back at the US administration in their ongoing trade dispute, saying Washington should 'stop doing memes' and take negotiations seriously. The spat began after trade talks between the two countries collapsed in August, with Carney stating that any agreement would have left Canadian industries effectively as 'subsidiaries' of American companies or imposed terms under which they would be 'gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.'

Carney emphasized that Washington sought an 'uncompetitive' deal for key industries, including autos, while also pushing changes affecting French-language and cultural protections. He argued that any one of those issues would have been enough to block an agreement. Ottawa is scheduled to impose retaliatory tariffs on nearly $20 billion in US goods starting September 8.

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned Canada it cannot 'go tit for tat' with an economy '13 times larger,' while Trump has threatened to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' and mocked Canada on social media. Carney described these actions as 'beneath their office.'