(NewsNation) — The trade clash between the United States and Canada will likely take center stage as newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
The two leaders are scheduled to greet each other at 11:30 a.m. ET, marking their first face-to-face meeting.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Carney said on social media, “Canada and the United States are strongest when we work together — and that work starts now.”
The call for teamwork was underscored by tension from Trump’s repeated calls to make Canada the 51st state and his unrelenting tariff threats.
It was also a shift from Carney’s comments a week earlier, when he said the previous relationship between the countries was “over.”
“The questions now are how our nations will cooperate in the future,” Carney said.
A recent YouGov poll found that more than 60% of Canadians consider the U.S. an enemy or unfriendly.
Canada has long served as a top trading partner for the U.S.
Last year, Canada was the top destination for American exports, resulting in more than $750 billion in trade for the U.S.
Tuesday’s meeting will likely focus on that trade relationship, specifically the 25% tariffs currently levied against most goods from Canada.
“He’s coming to see me. I’m not sure what he wants to see me about, but I guess he wants to make a deal. Everybody does,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
The White House visit comes amid an expected update from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on where international trade deals stand.
