Canada Eyes New Partnerships as Carney Warns Trump Policies Risk U.S. competitiveness
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Mark Carney, Canada’s special envoy for climate change, warned that the Trump administration’s protectionist trade policies and diminished focus on low-carbon economic growth could undermine American competitiveness, prompting Canada to seek stronger economic ties with Asia and other global partners. speaking at the ASEAN Business and Investment forum in Kuala Lumpur, Carney emphasized the economic benefits of transitioning to a lower-carbon economy.
“There is an understanding that moving towards lower carbon energy, lower carbon manufacturing, lower carbon services etc., will be a driver of competitiveness,” Carney stated. he contrasted this with the current U.S. approach, adding, “is not the priority of the president of the United States, at least it’s not the administration’s priority in the United States.”
Carney signaled a strategic shift for Canada, indicating a greater focus on diversifying partnerships in response to U.S. tariffs and diverging climate policies. “Canada can’t control the trade policy of the United States,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), ”but it can control whether it chooses to develop ‘new partnerships and opportunities including with the economic giants of Asia.'”
Vietnam was specifically highlighted by Carney as a key partner, with hopes to expand collaboration on trade, clean energy, and defense. He also emphasized the important economic potential of Southeast Asia, noting it represents a “$5-trillion economy” and “massive opportunities for our workers and businesses.”
The comments come amid escalating tensions with the U.S. over tariffs. Former President Donald Trump responded to a Canadian advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan discussing tariffs, claiming it was “fraudulent” and misrepresented the former president’s views. Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the Reagan Foundation had condemned the ad and was “reviewing its legal options.” He alleged the ad was intended to influence the U.S. Supreme Court regarding ongoing tariff disputes.
Analysts predict that economic friction between the U.S. and Canada is highly likely to continue as both nations pursue differing economic strategies.
