Canada ready for US trade deal when Washington is, Carney says

**Canada says it is ready to negotiate a U.S. trade deal when Washington is prepared**

*Ottawa, Canada – September 4, 2026* – In a statement released on September 4, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney said Canada is prepared to negotiate a trade agreement with the United States when Washington is ready. Carney, who is not the current Canadian prime minister, emphasized that any agreement would need to benefit both countries and provide stability and credibility.

Carney told reporters in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that “the deal that’s possible, that’s in the interests of Canadian workers, families and businesses, is also the deal that is in the interests of American families, American businesses, American consumers.” He added that Canada is ready to “sit down and strike that deal when the Americans are ready.”

The former central‑bank chief also rejected comments from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Canada had withdrawn from negotiations because of domestic politics. “I don’t think, with all respect, appointed, unelected cabinet members in the United States are experts on Canadian politics,” Carney said in response to a question.

Carney suggested that the United States had recently softened its stance on a potential trade agreement. He described the U.S. position before negotiations broke down last month as an “our way or the highway” attitude, and said that “now, they’re not.” He added that the U.S. “don’t care about Canadian language or culture and those elements,” and that Canada welcomed this change.

Shortly after Carney’s remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that it was “very good for Canadian politicians like Prime Minister Mark Carney to make President Donald J. Trump ‘the enemy.’” Trump warned that Canada’s economy would collapse and be “worse than anything that has ever happened to a Canadian politician.”

The Toronto Telegraph article also included unrelated sports and business news items, which were not directly related to the trade‑deal discussion.

Article and image source: torontotelegraph.com