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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Jen Gerson

Canadians do not seek a trade war – but nor will we be bullied by Donald Trump

An anti-US tariffs protest outside the US consulate in Vancouver in 2025.
An anti-US tariffs protest outside the US consulate in Vancouver in 2025. Photograph: Ethan Cairns/AP

The Canadians are exceedingly angry. I realise this can sometimes be difficult for foreigners to deduce, given our national struggle to express the full range of human emotion outside ice hockey riots. However, let me assure you that the prime minister Canadians saw take the stage on Saturday morning in the wake of the collapse in trade negotiations with the US was a Mark Carney practically vibrating with fury.

“You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” he said, in a rare press conference that was as candid and clear as he ever tends to be. “That’s fine … We’ve got the reserves, we’ve got the resilience, we’ve got the plan, we’ve got the focus. We’re gonna respond, we’re going to focus on what we can control and what we’re going to build.”

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