Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tries to pull France, UK closer with more tariffs coming from Trump

Brian Platt and Samy Adghirni, Bloomberg News on Mar 17, 2025

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Mark Carney used his first international trip as Canada’s prime minister to pitch a closer alliance with European allies as the country aims to reduce its dependence on an increasingly antagonistic U.S.

Standing beside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Carney said Canada must deepen its trade and security ties with the democratic nations of Europe. “I want to ensure that France and the whole of Europe works enthusiastically with Canada, the most European of non-European countries,” he said.

Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister on Friday, added that Canada remains “resolutely North American,” and will seek to “maintain the most positive relations possible with the United States.”

The former central banker is expected to call an election in Canada in the coming days, but made a point of first going to Europe for a diplomatic showcase rather than visit Washington. He’ll also visit U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday before flying back to Canada, where he’ll make a stop in the far north to stress the importance of protecting the country’s Arctic territory.

Carney, 60, has taken over at one of the most difficult moments in history for Canada-U.S. relations.

President Donald Trump has threatened to use “economic force” to try to turn the U.S.’s northern neighbor into the 51st state and has already imposed tariffs on tens of billions of dollars worth of U.S. imports of Canadian goods, with Canada retaliating in kind. The escalating trade and political tensions between the countries have hampered business and consumer spending plans.

Trump said over the weekend the U.S. would be imposing both broad “reciprocal tariffs” and additional sector-specific tariffs against a range of countries on April 2.

Macron also used the opportunity to argue for closer ties between France and Canada while the U.S. sows chaos in the global trading system.

“We both believe that a fair trade that respects international rules is a good thing for everybody’s prosperity,” Macron said. “And it is certainly more efficient than tariffs that create inflation and damage production chains and the integration of our economies.”

The European Union is facing challenges of its own. Trump last week threatened to impose a 200% tariff on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from France and elsewhere in the European Union. That comes after the White House put tariffs on steel and aluminum from around the world, as well as separate tariffs against a broad array of products from Canada and Mexico.