Carney Slams Unauthorized U.S. Talks as Trump Tariff Threats Push Canada-U.S. Relations to the Brink

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly rebuked one of his own Conservative MPs on Thursday, accusing the legislator of undermining Canadian sovereignty by holding unauthorized discussions with Trump administration officials amidst increasing tariff threats against Canada.

The criticism came as President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Ottawa with proposed tariffs targeting Canadian auto, aluminum, and lumber industries, actions that economists warn could lead to a recession in both countries.

Speaking from the West Block podium, a visibly frustrated Carney stated that the Conservative MP’s “rogue diplomacy” had caused confusion in Washington and risked weakening Canada’s unified negotiating stance.

“Let me be absolutely clear,” Carney said. “No member of Parliament, no backbench visitor, no unofficial delegation speaks for Canada in trade negotiations. Only this government — through myself, Foreign Minister Joly, and our accredited ambassadors — has the authority to engage with the United States on matters of tariffs, sovereignty, and economic security.”

The MP in question, identified by multiple sources as Conservative trade critic Michael Barrett, traveled to Washington earlier this week without informing either the Prime Minister’s Office or Global Affairs Canada. While in the U.S. capital, Barrett reportedly met with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and several Republican congressional aides.

Barrett has defended his trip, arguing that “all voices should be heard” during what he called a “dangerous and chaotic” trade crisis. However, Carney and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly described the visit as amateurish and potentially disastrous.

“You do not open a second channel when your country is facing an existential threat from its largest trading partner,” Joly told reporters. “One voice. One message. That is how sovereign nations negotiate. Anything else is weakness.”

This diplomatic rift occurs at a critical time. On Wednesday, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “Canada has taken advantage of the United States for decades” and that “big new tariffs are coming on cars, aluminum, and dairy.” The post did not specify a timeline or numeric rate, but anonymous White House sources told several outlets that a 25 percent tariff on Canadian auto imports was “under active consideration.”

Trump also reiterated his suggestion that the U.S. could “reconsider the northern border as a fully open economic line,” a statement widely interpreted as a veiled threat to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is not scheduled for renegotiation until 2028.

The response from Carney’s government was measured but firm. In addition to rebuking Barrett, Ottawa announced it would activate a crisis trade response unit — a little-known interagency body designed to coordinate retaliation in the event of unilateral U.S. tariffs.

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“We are preparing proportionate, targeted countermeasures,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a brief statement. “Every option is on the table, including export taxes on critical minerals and electricity. We do not want a trade war. But we will not beg for fair treatment.”

The unauthorized Washington trip threatens to complicate these plans. Multiple Canadian officials, speaking anonymously, said the Conservative MP’s meetings had already caused confusion among mid-level U.S. trade officials, some of whom reportedly believed Barrett was carrying a “compromise offer” from Ottawa.

“There was no compromise offer,” a senior Canadian official said. “There was a freelancer who wanted a photo op with Peter Navarro. Now we have to spend 48 hours cleaning up the misunderstanding. That is 48 hours we should be spending fighting tariffs.”

Barrett dismissed that characterization in an interview with a Canadian talk radio station. He said his meetings were “fully transparent” and that he had “nothing to hide.” He also argued that Canada needed “multiple political voices” in Washington to counter what he called Carney’s “aloof and academic” negotiating style.

“I met with people who matter in the Trump administration,” Barrett said. “The prime minister is still using PowerPoint presentations from Davos. Some of us are trying to actually stop American tariffs.”

The Conservative Party leadership, however, appeared to distance itself from Barrett’s move. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been sharply critical of Carney’s trade policies, issued a carefully worded statement that did not endorse the unauthorized trip.

“Conservative MPs work for Canadians, not for the prime minister,” Poilievre said. “But we also respect the principle that one government speaks for one country. Michael Barrett is a respected colleague. On this particular tactic, however, we have questions.”

Poilievre’s hesitation to fully support Barrett’s unauthorized diplomacy reflected the political sensitivity of the moment. While the Conservatives have criticized Carney on inflation, housing, and carbon pricing, they have historically presented themselves as the party of strong national sovereignty — a stance incompatible with condoning rogue trade negotiations.

The political situation in Washington is equally complex. President Trump, who has a long history of transactional relationships with Canadian leaders, seemed to enjoy the discord. In a phone call with a Republican senator that was later leaked to the press, Trump reportedly said, “Even their own people are coming to see us. That tells you everything.”

When asked about the Barrett visit during a White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration “welcomes dialogue with any Canadian who respects President Trump’s vision for fair and reciprocal trade.” She declined to elaborate on the meetings.

Canadian business leaders reacted with alarm. Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, issued an unusually direct statement calling for “all political actors in Canada to present a single, disciplined front.”

“Disunity in trade negotiations is like bleeding in a shark tank,” Hyder said. “The United States is not going to moderate its demands because one MP got coffee with Peter Navarro. They will moderate their demands because they face unified, credible retaliation. That requires everyone in Ottawa to act like an adult.”

The stakes could not be higher. Canada sends approximately $350 billion in goods to the United States annually — nearly 20 percent of its GDP. The auto sector alone supports more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, heavily concentrated in Ontario and Quebec.

A 25 percent tariff on Canadian vehicles would, by most estimates, immediately halt assembly plants in Oshawa, Windsor, and Oakville within 90 days. Aluminum tariffs would devastate Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in Quebec, where the industry is the economic foundation of dozens of municipalities.

“The question is not whether Canada would retaliate,” said Meredith Cartwright, a trade economist at the University of Toronto. “The question is whether retaliation triggers an escalation. If Trump puts 25 percent on cars and Canada puts export taxes on electricity or potash, we are in a full-blown trade war within a month. Nobody wins that.”