Carney to Trump: "this alliance is a positive process"
Mark CarneyPrime Minister of Canada
Carney directly responded to Trump's tariff threat, calling the alliance a positive process and rejecting outside dictation of Canadian sovereignty.
“This alliance is a positive process, that's my response to the American president. Canadians are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak, no-one is going to dictate our culture, or with whom we can strike agreements internationally.”
Reporting
Other statements by Mark Carney in this case
- Carney says Canada welcomes the ambition without adopting the associate-member labelSame day: Defended or excused
- Carney says the name of the EU arrangement matters less than its resultsLater: Defended or excused
- Carney says Canada is working toward becoming the EU's first associate memberLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Should Canada become an associate member of the European Union?
In her State of the European Union address on 16 September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would like to work with Prime Minister Mark Carney on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union, as part of moving beyond the existing CETA trade agreement to what she called an Alliance for the Future. Carney, present as an invited guest, told the European Parliament the following day that Canada welcomes the ambition, while attributing the associate-member phrase to von der Leyen rather than adopting it, and promised debates and a vote in the Canadian Parliament on the final structure. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre set red lines against Canadians paying taxes to Brussels, following European laws they did not vote on, or adopting European immigration policy. United States President Donald Trump said that if he judged the arrangement a hostile act he would impose heavy tariffs on Europe or curtail trade. No agreement has been signed, and associate membership is not a status defined in the European Union's treaties.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
BBC report on Carney's European Parliament address and his press-conference response to Trump's tariff threat.
Before the quotation
Said at a press conference following Carney's September 17, 2026 address to the European Parliament, responding directly to Trump's tariff threat made the previous day.
After the quotation
Carney separately reiterated at the same appearance that Canada was "not in a position, nor seeking, to become a full member of the European Union."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Carney directly frames the alliance as "a positive process" in response to Trump's tariff threat, matching the case's convention for statements defending the arrangement.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseCarleton's Achim Hurrelmann doubts an associate-member status for Canada can be set up soon
“I'm not sure if a status with that name can be established for Canada any time soon”Read statement
Poilievre says the summit cut no tariffs and warns against aligning Canada with European policies
“Worse, there was lots of talk at the summit about aligning Canada with the insane European taxes, debt, immigration and anti-oil and gas policies that have left parts of Europe bankrupt and burning.”Read statement
German ambassador says the two sides should give the associate-member label real content
“The president of the commission and the prime minister are using the term associated membership, so let's fill that name with life and see what it can be about. I think we should not be distracted by the label in question from the important content that has been agreed today”Read statement
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- Carney to Trump: "this alliance is a positive process"
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The Dispute Index. "Carney to Trump: "this alliance is a positive process"". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/954-carney-directly-responded-to-trump-s-tariff-threat