Donald Trump has stated that he does not plan to meet with Mark Carney for the foreseeable future. This announcement comes as both leaders are attending events in Asia this week. On Friday, Trump spoke to reporters before heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. When asked about a potential meeting with Carney, he replied, "I don’t have any intention of it. No."

Following the summit, while traveling to Japan, Trump reiterated his stance, saying he did not wish to meet with Carney "for a while." He expressed satisfaction with the current trade agreement with Canada, stating, "No, I’m very happy with the deal we have right now with Canada."

Tensions between the U.S. and Canada escalated last week after an anti-tariff advertisement from the Ontario government featured the late President Ronald Reagan. Trump labeled the ad as "fake" and emphasized the importance of tariffs for U.S. national security and economic interests. He announced plans to increase tariffs on Canada by 10 percent but did not specify when this increase would take effect.

Trump remarked, "Ronald Reagan loved tariffs," but noted that the former president used them sparingly. He added, "I was the biggest fan of Ronald Reagan, but on finance, on trade, it wasn’t his strong suit." Trump accused Canada of "ripping off" the U.S. for an extended period, stating, "One of the most difficult countries to deal with has been Canada. As much as I love Canada itself and the people of Canada, they’ve just had bad representatives."

Before the trade discussions deteriorated, Carney indicated that negotiations had been detailed and comprehensive, focusing on steel, aluminum, and energy. He mentioned, "We stand ready to pick up on those discussions," and acknowledged that unexpected developments can occur in high-stakes negotiations. Carney emphasized the importance of maintaining composure during such situations, stating, "It doesn’t pay to be upset. Emotions don’t carry you very far. We had made progress … and we stand by the progress that had been made."

Both Trump and Carney are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea later this week.