Carney ‘strong’ in year one, now must deliver on promises in Canada
Key takeaways
- Canada’s prime minister has used Trump’s attacks on allies and others to refocus his country’s foreign policy and place in the world.
- A recently sworn-in United States president, Donald Trump, slapped tariffs on Canadian exports and threatened to make the US neighbour the 51st state.
- All that was thrown aside when Trump took office, and Canada, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was one of the first countries he slapped with tariffs.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Canada’s prime minister has used Trump’s attacks on allies and others to refocus his country’s foreign policy and place in the world.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney makes an announcement at the new and under-construction Embleton Community Centre and Park, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on April 7, 2026 [File: Carlos Osorio/Reuters]By Megha Bahree Published On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took office last year amid a flurry of aggressive actions by his country’s southern neighbour. A recently sworn-in United States president, Donald Trump, slapped tariffs on Canadian exports and threatened to make the US neighbour the 51st state.
The actions were particularly damning as Canada had deep trade and security ties with the US, not only sending nearly 80 percent of its exports to that market, but also often following lockstep on geopolitical policy and strategic moves.