Prime Minister Mark Carney will arrive in Malaysia on Saturday seeking trade opportunities with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
But the question everyone is asking is whether he will have any personal meetings with US President Donald Trump, who is expected to arrive at the same meeting on Sunday.
Trump ruled out trade talks with Canada on Thursday night, saying he was outraged by an Ontario government ad published in the United States that used then-President Ronald Reagan’s pro-free trade comments. Trump called the announcement “FALSE” and announced that “ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he was suspending the announcement in hopes that negotiations would resume on Monday. The Prime Minister’s Office says it had no indication if or when negotiations would restart.
Before leaving Ottawa for Kuala Lumpur, Carney gave a muted response to the president’s outburst, saying discussions had moved forward in specific sectors, such as steel, aluminum and energy.
“We are ready to pick up on that progress and build on that progress when Americans are ready to have those discussions because it will be in the best interest of American workers, Canadian workers and families in both of our countries,” the prime minister said.
It remains to be seen whether he can deliver that message to Trump in Malaysia.
A senior federal official, speaking in the background during the day-long flight, said bilateral talks with major ASEAN countries are currently scheduled.
The main goal will be to get the Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement “over the line” and ready to be signed next year.
“I think we come to this region because the countries that make up ASEAN are some of the fastest growing economies in the world,” the official said.
“It’s a very dynamic region and I think we want Canadian exporters to have greater access and we want to demonstrate our partnerships with them.”
Carney has said publicly that he makes it a priority to look for places where there are opportunities to drive economic growth for Canadian companies.
Most observers have said Canada should be prepared for incremental victories rather than big results in ASEAN.
Negotiations towards the ASEAN free trade agreement have been complex, the official said. Different ASEAN members have different levels of economic development and different regulatory frameworks.
