Ahead of the G7 summit, Canada’s foreign minister softened his tone on Trump with trade talks in jeopardy

PARIS (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Europe for the upcoming Group of Seven summit, where he is expected to deliver more muted criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump at a critical time for talks to renew a free trade agreement between the two countries and Mexico.

Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, became a symbol of middle-power resistance in January, when he declared the end of the rules-based global order and condemned the coercion exerted by great powers on smaller countries. But this summit comes as tensions rise between Trump and Canada.

On Friday, Carney met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, a few days before the summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Read more: Carney says he told Trump ‘I meant it’ in his Davos speech on trade policy

He did not mention the United States directly but referred to artificial intelligence, and said Canada and France were “determined to act in this way to strengthen our strategic independence in a world dominated by hegemons and hyper-scalers.”

Macron said the two countries “share the same vision of the world.”

The Group of Seven summit of industrialized democracies starting Monday in France comes ahead of a scheduled July 1 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It is a crucial moment in trade talks for the latest version of the North American Free Trade Agreement that has entangled the three countries’ economies since the early 1990s. Trump said this week that he may not renew the agreement.

Maintaining the agreement is crucial for Canada, as 70% of exports go to the United States

Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said that Trump represents a problem for Carney “more than anyone else because we are more exposed to the United States.”

Read more: Carney says Canada not seeking free trade deal with China as Trump threatens tariffs

Trump departs for the G7 summit immediately after he hosts UFC fights at the White House on Sunday to mark his 80th birthday.

Carney downplayed the idea of ​​six countries against one at the summit, saying there would be some issues where each country would have more extreme views compared to the others.

The summit comes amid tension in relations between Canada and the United States, one of the most enduring and friendly alliances.

Trump’s actions, including launching a trade war and proposing that Canada become the 51st U.S. state, have angered Canadians and set the political environment for Carney to win the job of prime minister in 2025 after promising to confront Trump.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the leader of Canada’s most populous province, held a reception at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, which was canceled on Monday at the last minute, although one of his ministers called it a “badge of honour.”

Trump said again this week that the United States doesn’t need anything Canada has. Carney set a goal for Canada to double its non-American exports in the next decade, saying that Trump’s trade war is causing a slowdown in investment.

Read more: Carney says Canada will aim to double its non-U.S. exports amid economic tensions

On Thursday, the opening of a major Canadian bridge across the Detroit River that Trump had previously threatened to close due to unresolved issues was postponed.

Trump administration officials continue to point out that only two countries, China and Canada, have retaliated against America in the trade war. US Trade Representative Jamison Greer says Canada’s retaliatory measures are a major issue in the talks.

Daniel Belland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said Carney appears to have softened his tone toward the Trump administration to avoid deteriorating relations.

“There is a clear tension between what Prime Minister Carney said in his speech in Davos about the middle powers standing up to the hegemons and his attempt to push the US administration ‘in the right direction’ in terms of reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and trade policy in general,” Belland said.

Watch: Trump says US and Canada have ‘natural conflict’ but ‘mutual love’ in meeting with Carney

Carney downplayed Trump’s recent comments about Canada becoming the 51st state.

Canada and Mexico want to renew the USMCA for another 16 years. It is likely to undergo annual reviews over the next ten years.

Carney is also scheduled to travel to Ireland this weekend to meet the Irish Prime Minister in an attempt to diversify trade away from the United States.

This is Carney’s ninth trip to Europe in the 15 months since he became prime minister in March 2025.