Canadian Prime Minister Carney to Adjust Rhetoric on Trade at G7 Summit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to soften his public criticism of U.S. trade policy when he attends the G7 summit in France later this month. Carney gained international attention in January after a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he said the global rules-based order had ended and condemned pressure by larger countries on smaller ones.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as USMCA, faces an uncertain future after the U.S. president said this week the pact may not be renewed. Canada relies on the agreement for much of its trade with the United States. Carney has set a target of doubling Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade, citing reduced investment linked to recent trade tensions.

Carney will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday before traveling to the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains. He will also visit Ireland this weekend to discuss trade diversification. The prime minister has made nine trips to Europe since taking office in March 2025.

A major bridge project linking Canada and the United States across the Detroit River, previously threatened with blockage, had its opening delayed on Thursday over unresolved issues. Ontario Premier Doug Ford canceled a planned reception with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Monday after the event was withdrawn at the last minute.