Carney rejects U.S. claim that Canadian politics ended trade talks

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks about the trade dispute with the United States at the Davie Shipyard in Levis, Que., on Aug. 24, 2026. PHOTO BY ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney rebuffed U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s recent comments that Canada pulled out of trade talks with the U.S. due to political reasons. “I don’t think, with all respect, appointed, unelected cabinet members in the United States are experts on Canadian politics,” said Carney, during an announcement in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Thursday. Carney was in the northern Ontario city announcing a $4.7-billion contract to build over 300 new Via Rail passenger rail cars. The prime minister’s comments come after Lutnick claimed the reasons Canada blew up trade talks last month were “manufactured” and had to do with the Quebec provincial election and Alberta’s referendum. Both the Canadian and American governments have blamed each other for the breakdown in negotiations. Carney said several last-minute conditions on the U.S. side of negotiations made accepting a deal untenable. He cited the addition of language on auto industry tariffs, such as a failure by the U.S. to reduce tariffs on heavy-duty trucks like the ones produced in auto plants in Southern Ontario. He also cited “efforts to restrict our protections of our language, our culture, and in effect, our sovereignty.” Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have both said the French language provisions were not a red line for American negotiators. On Wednesday, Lutnick told CNBC a Canadian minister did not deny it when asked if Canadian negotiators were trying to “blow up” trade talks on Aug. 21. Lutnick also claimed Canada had made several last-minute demands of its own. Read More The key to winning the Canada-U.S. trade war is not retaliating, says think tank A Republican senator could be one of the first political victims of Trump's tariff war Carney said the Americans have changed their stances since negotiations halted. “I’ll say one other thing, which is that there are a few issues that the United States was arguing right up to the last hour, red lines weren’t going to change, boom, it’s in there, you know, our way or the highway, take it or leave it, you know, attitude,” he said. “Some of what they’re saying now is different than what they were drawing the line on, and we are always going to stand up for what’s in the best interest of Canada workers,…