Ahead of G7 Summit, Carney Softens Tone Toward Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became a symbol of middle-power resistance after a celebrated speech earlier this year, but he is expected to be more muted in his criticism of US President Donald Trump at an upcoming summit in Europe, Rob Gillies reported for The Associated Press (AP).

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a public event ahead of the G7 summit, where trade talks with US President Donald Trump are expected to take center stage. (Photo: Mark Carney Facebook)

Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, helped make him an international political star in January, when he declared the global rules-based order over and condemned coercion by great powers against smaller countries.

The prime minister received widespread praise and attention for his remarks and upstaged Trump at the gathering.

But the Group of Seven (G7) summit of industrialized democracies, which begins Monday in France, comes ahead of the scheduled July 1 review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the latest iteration of the North American free-trade pact that has intertwined the economies of the US, Mexico and Canada since the early 1990s.

It is a crucial moment in trade talks, and Trump said this week that he may not renew the deal. More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the US, making preservation of the accord critical for Canada.