Carney stands by Davos speech after call with Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly and firmly reiterated the positions outlined in his recent speech at the World Economic Forum, pushing back against suggestions from US officials that he backtracked during a conversation with President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday, Carney insisted his message in Davos was clear and stood by it.

Carney Rejects US Claim of a "Walk-Back"

The comments came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed that Carney had "aggressively" taken back parts of his Davos address during a phone call with President Trump. Carney flatly denied this characterization. "But to be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos. It was clear," Carney stated before a cabinet meeting. He described the call, which he said was initiated by Trump, as a "very good conversation" covering a wide array of international and bilateral issues, including Ukraine, Venezuela, and Arctic security.

A Discussion of Trade Strategy and New Partnerships

Detailing the substance of the discussion, Carney said he outlined Canada's evolving trade strategy to the US President. He explained Canada's efforts to build new global partnerships, citing an arrangement with China and the completion of 12 new trade deals across four continents in just six months. According to Carney, President Trump was "impressed" by this diplomatic and economic outreach. The conversation also touched on the opportunity to move forward with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the trilateral trade pact governing North American commerce.

Context of Strained Relations and Strategic Divergence

The diplomatic exchange occurs against a backdrop of long-strained relations between Ottawa and Washington, marked by US tariffs on Canadian goods and halted trade talks in the past. Carney's Davos speech had warned of the erosion of the US-led, rules-based international order and urged middle-power nations to diversify trade and build resilience—a message implicitly critical of recent US unilateralism. Following that speech, Trump had remarked that Canada should be "grateful" to the United States, underscoring the persistent tension. Carney's latest statements reinforce Canada's intent to pursue an independent foreign economic policy while managing a crucial, if complicated, relationship with its largest trading partner.