Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he held several informal discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Évian‑les‑Bains, France [1, 2].
These interactions highlight the diplomatic effort to maintain a working relationship between Canada and the U.S. amidst complex trade and industrial disputes. While a formal bilateral meeting was not scheduled, the frequency of these talks suggests a high level of urgency regarding shared economic interests.
Carney said that he had seven or eight discussions [3] with the U.S. president over a 36-hour period [3]. He said that there was no official meeting, just a series of informal talks [4].
The conversations focused on a range of strategic topics, including energy, and industrial policy [3, 5]. Trade was also a central point of discussion during these brief encounters [3, 5].
One specific point of contention involved Canada's electric-vehicle deal with China. Carney said he defended Canada’s Chinese EV deal during his interactions with Trump [3, 5].
The summit in France provided the backdrop for these exchanges, which occurred throughout the leaders' gathering in early June 2024 [3, 6]. Carney's itinerary for the second day of the summit was heavily scheduled with various world leaders [6].
Despite the lack of a formal sit-down, the Prime Minister emphasized the volume of communication. "I had seven or eight discussions with President Trump over the past 36 hours," Carney said [3].
“"There was no official meeting, just a series of informal talks."”
The reliance on informal 'pull-aside' conversations rather than a scheduled bilateral meeting suggests a strained or cautious diplomatic environment. By defending the Chinese EV deal in these settings, Carney is attempting to protect Canadian industrial interests while managing the volatility of U.S. trade policy toward China.
