Carney Rejects Free-Trade Deal With China After Trump Tariff Threat
Canada says tariff adjustments with China were limited and not a free-trade pact, after Trump threatened 100% U.S. tariffs on Jan. 24, 2025.
PBS NewsHourCarney says Canada not pursuing free trade deal with China as Trump threatens tariffs
Epoch TimesCarney Says Canada Has ‘No Intention’ of Pursuing a Free Trade Agreement With China
Boston HeraldCanada not going free trade with China
FOX NewsCarney pushes back on Trump's 100% tariff threat over China trade deals with Canada amid tensions
Overview
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Jan. 24, 2025 that Canada has no intention of pursuing a free-trade agreement with China and described recent tariff adjustments as limited, officials confirmed.
The statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 24, 2025 Truth Social post threatening to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian imports if Ottawa signs a free-trade deal with Beijing, according to his post.
Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for trade with the United States, said on Jan. 24, 2025 that Canada and China resolved "several important trade issues" but are not pursuing a free-trade agreement, officials confirmed.
In 2024 Canada imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and 25% on steel and aluminum, and China retaliated with 100% duties on canola and meal and 25% on pork and seafood, trade records show.
U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement obligations require prior notification before deals with nonmarket economies, and officials said legal timing and enforcement of Trump’s threatened tariffs remain unclear ahead of USMCA renegotiations this summer.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a bilateral clash, highlighting Trump’s 100%‑tariff threats and ‘Governor Carney’ posts while depicting Carney as a measured middle‑power voice. Editorial choices use loaded verbs ("threatened," "war of words"), place Trump’s incendiary quotes early, and add industry and trade experts for policy context.