‘No intention’: Canada’s Carney rules out free trade pact with China after Trump threatens tariffs

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has said Ottawa has “no intention” of pursuing a free trade agreement with China, pushing back against claims of a strategic drift towards Beijing, a day after US President Donald Trump threatened sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods.Carney’s remarks came after Trump warned that Canada could face “100 per cent tariffs if it makes a deal with China”. Speaking to reporters on Sunday (local time), Carney said Canada remains bound by commitments under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which restricts free trade agreements with non-market economies without prior notification.

“We have commitments under CUSMA not to pursue free trade agreements with non-market economies without prior notification. We have no intention of doing that with China or any other non-market economy,” Carney said. “What we have done with China is to rectify some issues that developed in the last couple of years.”