Trump says Canada should pursue trade deals with China

President Donald Trump stated that Canada is correct to seek trade agreements with China, a notable shift in tone after years of tensions. The comment follows a landmark visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Beijing, which resulted in a new deal on electric vehicles and canola.

U.S. President Donald Trump offered a surprising endorsement of Canada’s push to deepen its economic ties with China, stating on Friday that Ottawa is doing what it "should be doing." When asked about trade agreements signed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his recent four-day official visit to China, Trump responded, "If you could get a deal with China, you should do that."

Canada's Pivot Away from U.S. Dependence

This endorsement comes amid a deliberate Canadian strategy to reduce its overwhelming reliance on the United States as its dominant trading partner. Tensions between Washington and Ottawa have been high during Trump's second term, marked by the U.S. imposition of tariffs as high as 35% on Canadian goods and the President's controversial references to Canada as the "51st state." In response, Prime Minister Carney has set an ambitious national goal to double Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade, with China being a central focus of that diversification effort.

Details of the New Canada-China Agreement

Carney's visit, the first by a Canadian prime minister to China in eight years, yielded a substantive trade announcement. The two nations released a joint statement outlining a new arrangement: Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market, subject to a most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1%. In return, China is expected to reduce its tariffs on Canadian canola seed to a combined rate of approximately 15% by March 2026. "To build on this momentum, Canada has set an ambitious goal to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030," the official statement noted.

A New Phase in North American Trade Dynamics

Trump's seemingly supportive remarks represent a stark contrast to his previous adversarial stance and signal a potential new phase in continental trade relations. While his "America First" policy remains, the comment acknowledges the reality of U.S. allies seeking alternative economic partnerships. For nations globally, including Türkiye, which also navigates complex trade relationships with major powers, Canada's move exemplifies a pragmatic approach to economic sovereignty—diversifying trade portfolios to ensure resilience and growth in an unpredictable geopolitical landscape.