OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump are in direct communication as part of Ottawa’s bid to persuade Washington to lift tariffs, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said on Thursday.
“We are in a trade war and it’s normal that at the same time that the trade war is taking place, there are also diplomatic negotiations, and that therefore, Prime Minister Carney and President Trump talk to each other,” she told reporters.
The Globe and Mail newspaper earlier quoted the U.S. envoy to Canada as saying the two leaders were secretly holding direct talks to work out a framework for a trade and security deal….