Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called on the United States to adopt a more serious approach in trade negotiations, urging the Trump administration to "stop playing tough." Speaking on 1/9, Carney stated, "When Americans stop posting memes or parody videos, stop being sarcastic, stop playing tough, and start negotiating seriously, we are ready to talk." He added that the current US behavior is "not constructive at all, but that's their democratic system."

Carney outlined Canada's firm rejection of the US negotiating tactics, which he believes aim to undermine Canadian industries. He explained that the US approach would either turn Canadian companies into American subsidiaries or impose terms that would cause them to "gradually wither and be completely eliminated right here in Canada." "Of course, we will not accept such terms," he stressed. The Prime Minister also highlighted US demands for changes affecting French language and cultural preservation, asserting that any one of these issues alone would block a bilateral agreement.

Furthermore, Carney accused Washington of attempting to restrict Canada's future trade agreements. Emphasizing national sovereignty, he declared, "Canada is a sovereign nation. We will sign free trade agreements with any country we wish."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a press conference on 22/8. *Photo: Reuters*

Carney's remarks follow a series of renewed attacks from Washington after trade negotiations collapsed on 21/8. President Donald Trump publicly mocked Canada, renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" and posting derisive comments on social media. US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent claimed Canada could not "retaliate" against an economy 13 times larger than its own.

The provocations extended to other US officials. On 31/8, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted a photo on social media showing two female officer cadets at a training center in British Columbia province, accompanied by the comment "this is reality," seemingly ridiculing the Canadian military. Prime Minister Carney deemed this post "unbefitting" the sender's position, while the Pentagon responded that "the post on X speaks for itself." The White House also released an AI-generated video depicting Canadian geese with Trump-like hair parading with firearms, further escalating tensions.

The US-Canada trade negotiations broke down last month after both sides failed to reach an agreement. In response, President Trump immediately imposed 50% tariffs on approximately 20 billion USD worth of Canadian goods. Canada's retaliatory tariffs, also targeting nearly 20 billion USD worth of US goods, are expected to take effect on 8/9.

Vu Hoang (According to ABC News, Guardian, AFP, Reuters)