Star Metro - Canadian PM visits Trump in bid to ease tariffs

Carney is making his second visit to the Oval Office since April, but unlike other US allies Canada has still not sealed a deal with Washington to take the edge off Trump's trade wars.

The 60-year-old former central banker entered politics less than a year ago but now faces growing criticism domestically, where he campaigned on his extensive crisis management experience.

"I wore red for you!" Carney joked, pointing to his tie as the US president greeted him outside the West Wing. Trump often wears a red tie, although on this occasion he was wearing a blue one.

A day earlier, Trump said when asked about Carney's visit that "I guess he's going to ask about tariffs, because a lot of companies from Canada are moving into the United States."

The 79-year-old US president has also recently repeated his desire to make Canada "the 51st state", an issue that caused tensions before Carney's previous trip.

The Canadian government said that during Carney's "working visit" he seeks to restore bilateral relations and discuss "shared priorities in a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the US."

Unlike other US allies such as Britain and the European Union, Canada has not yet cut a deal for a comprehensive trade agreement with its North American neighbor.

The United States is Canada's main economic partner, with 75 percent of Canada's exports being sold across its southern border. Canada saw its GDP decline by 1.5 percent in the second quarter, adding to the economic pressure.

Trump has already imposed tariffs on lumber, aluminum, steel and automobiles. On Monday, he announced 25 percent tariffs on heavy trucks starting November 1.

For now, the vast majority of trade remains protected by the USMCA, a free-trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

But the agreement faces renegotiation soon, and Trump has already called for a revision that would favor US industries.

- 'No choice' -

The Canadian premier is under major pressure at home to seal a deal.

"Mark Carney has no choice, he must return from Washington with progress," said Daniel Beland, a political scientist at McGill University in Montreal, pointing to the steel and aluminium tariffs as key areas.

Carney faces particular criticism for making concessions while getting little in return.

At the end of June, Carney canceled a tax targeting American tech giants under pressure from Trump, who called it outrageous. He also lifted many of the tariffs imposed by the previous government.

"If you return with excuses, broken promises and photo ops, you will have failed our workers, our businesses and our country," conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre wrote in an open letter to Carney on Monday.

Carney faces risks, too, as he appears in the Oval Office.

The Canadian safely navigated his first appearance there six months ago, but Trump has previously savaged visiting foreign leaders in the gilded room including Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.

"These meetings can easily go off track, and everything plays out publicly," said Genevieve Tellier, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa.

Last week, Trump once again brought up the possibility of annexing Canada during a speech to US generals and admirals, referencing the country's potential participation in a new "Golden Dome" missile shield.

"Canada called me a couple of weeks ago, they want to be part of it," Trump claimed. "To which I said, well, why don't you just join our country" and "become the 51st state, and you get it for free."

M.Johnson--SMC