Daijiworld Media Network- Washington

Washington, May 7: In a high-stakes diplomatic encounter marked by tense exchanges and pointed rhetoric, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US president Donald Trump held their first formal talks on Tuesday. The meeting, while beginning on a cordial note, quickly veered into contentious territory as Trump raised long-standing issues over trade and tariffs.

In a moment that caught global attention, Trump reiterated his provocative notion of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state — a suggestion that was flatly rejected by Carney.

"Canada is not for sale, and it never will be," Carney asserted firmly. Unfazed, Trump smirked and responded, "Never say never."

The meeting turned increasingly tense when the issue of tariffs took centre stage. President Trump remained unyielding on his protectionist policies, particularly the tariffs imposed on Canadian goods. "There's nothing he can say that will make me lift those tariffs," Trump reportedly told aides after the meeting.

Ahead of the talks, Trump took to social media to air his grievances, writing:

"I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple truth — why is America subsidising Canada by $200 billion a year, in addition to giving them free military protection? We don’t need anything they have. They, on the other hand, need everything from us!"

Though analysts say the "$200 billion subsidy" is a misrepresentation of the trade balance — which is primarily skewed due to U.S. imports of Canadian oil — Trump has used the figure to stoke nationalist sentiment.

Canada remains the United States' second-largest trading partner, trailing only Mexico, with over $760 billion in goods traded annually between the two nations. Despite Trump's claims, Canada is also the largest export market for American goods, making it a vital economically.

Sources in Ottawa have confirmed that while the Canadian delegation was prepared for a tough exchange, the intensity of Trump’s rhetoric and his refusal to negotiate on tariffs has left bilateral relations more strained than before.

Observers noted that while no major breakthroughs were achieved, the face-to-face engagement may serve as the beginning of a longer, difficult dialogue on recalibrating U.S.-Canada trade relations.