Canadian PM says close economic ties with US have become a ‘weakness’

Mark Carney says Canada must build economic ties with other countries amid its shifting relationship with the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that after decades of partnership with the United States, close economic ties between the two countries have become a “weakness” that must be corrected.

Carney gave remarks on Canada’s relationship with the US in a 10-minute video on Sunday, in which he signalled that Canada must move away from excessive reliance on any one country.

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“The world is more dangerous and divided,” Carney said. “The US has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression.”

“Many of our former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become weaknesses,” he added. “Weaknesses that we must correct.”

The comments are the latest from Carney to signal the shifting nature of US-Canada relations after decades of economic integration, as threats of higher tariffs from US President Donald Trump upend trade ties with foes and allies worldwide.

Trump’s comments that Canada should become a US state have also rattled Canadians.

At one point in the video, Carney held up a toy soldier depicting General Isaac Brock, a British military commander who fought against US forces during the War of 1812 invasion of what is today Canada.

“The situation today feels unique, but we’ve faced down threats like this before,” Carney said.

Carney’s Liberal Party government secured a parliamentary majority in special elections earlier this month, giving him more room to manoeuvre on key economic issues such as US trade relations. A review of the free trade pact between the US, Canada, and Mexico is scheduled for July.

Carney became prime minister in 2025 after a campaign in which he promised to take a firm stance towards what many Canadians have perceived as unwarranted hostility from the US.

While tensions have eased between Trump and Carney, and some tariffs have been rolled back, the Canadian leader has sought closer economic ties with countries such as China to reduce Canada’s dependence on the US.

“We have to take care of ourselves because we can’t rely on one foreign partner,” Carney said on Sunday. “We can’t control the disruption coming from our neighbours. We can’t control our future on the hope it will suddenly stop.”