Mark Carney

Canada

2026-10-03 12:06:08

Canada sets up prime minister’s national AI council as Carney names members

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Ottawa on Oct. 2 the creation of the Prime Minister’s National Artificial Intelligence Council, a new body tasked with offering independent and practical advice on the country’s AI transition. The council will bring together stakeholders from the public and private sectors and provide input on the evolution of the national AI for All strategy. Its remit covers accelerating adoption, fostering national champion companies, building sovereign AI infrastructure, improving AI safety, protecting democracy, and ensuring benefits are shared across Canada. Members named to the council include Ajay Agrawal, Yoshua Bengio, Sanja Fidler, John Graham, Gillian Hadfield, Jordan Jacobs, Eric Lamarre, Valérie Pisano, Senator Thomas Pitfield, Jody Thomas, Louis Vachon, Michelle Zatlyn, and Patrick Pichette. A small team from the Privy Council Office will support the group, while policy decisions and implementation will remain with relevant ministers and departments.

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Donald Trump

2026-09-09 03:23:53

Trump orders Canadian goods removed from U.S. federal procurement lists after tariff retaliation

U.S.-Canada trade tensions widened on Sept. 8 after President Donald Trump directed the General Services Administration and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to remove Canadian-origin goods from the federal government’s Multiple Award Schedule procurement lists. The move came shortly after Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products took effect and extends the dispute beyond import duties into government purchasing, a market that the report said channels more than $50 billion a year. According to BlockTempo, Trump described the decision on Truth Social as a way to end what he called a "Canada trade scam," arguing that Ottawa had long kept U.S. companies out of its own government procurement market while allowing Canadian firms to bid on U.S. contracts. The report said that, unlike tariffs, removal from the schedule affects supplier eligibility rather than pricing, which could make the damage harder to reverse because firms would need to go through a full qualification process again. The report also said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney framed Ottawa’s response as a reaction to unequal trade terms. Canada’s latest retaliatory package covers about C$27.6 billion in U.S. goods and took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Sept. 8. Looking ahead, Carney is expected to host a global investment summit in Toronto and then travel to Strasbourg to speak before the European Parliament as Canada seeks to reduce its dependence on the U.S.

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United States

2026-08-23 15:50:12

U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse as Washington imposes 50% tariffs and Ottawa sets Sept. 8 response

Trade talks between the United States and Canada broke down at the last minute, quickly leading to a fresh round of tariff escalation between the two countries. According to CNBC, the negotiations fell apart late Friday, and the U.S. moved on Saturday to impose 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian products. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa will begin dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on Sept. 8. Carney said the U.S. was "asking for too much and offering too little" and accused Washington of adding new demands in the final stage of negotiations. Those requests, he said, involved Canada’s auto industry, cultural protections, and French-language guarantees. Carney described the situation as a trade war between the two countries. Canada’s planned response will target steel, dairy products, agricultural machinery, pulp, and paper. Carney also said Canada had been prepared to remove existing retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles if the U.S. lowered its own measures at the same time, but no deal was reached. The report said markets are now watching how the renewed tariff conflict could affect broader risk sentiment, including spillover into crypto and other risk assets around the Sept. 8 implementation date.

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Canada

2026-08-22 06:53:58

Trump’s 50% Tariff Hits Canada as Carney Moves to Cut Reliance on the U.S.

A 50% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on certain Canadian goods took effect this week, covering about C$20 billion in exports to the United States. With roughly 70% of Canada’s exports still bound for the U.S., Ottawa is responding by widening trade ties, pushing domestic commerce, and accelerating infrastructure plans. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will match the move with equal tariffs to defend businesses and jobs. The latest round also comes as Trump declined to renew a USMCA exemption arrangement, putting the trade pact into annual review. Canada has been trying to diversify for years, deepening trade with China, India, Saudi Arabia and European countries, while increasing non-U.S. exports and expanding ports, minerals and energy infrastructure at home.

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