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The last time U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney met face to face was in South Korea in October.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney will have a brief meeting Friday in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, days after Mr. Trump spoke of leaving the trilateral United States-Mexico-Canada free-trade deal.
Audrey Champoux, deputy director of communications and media relations at the Prime Minister’s Office, said the meeting will take place as the two leaders gather for the final FIFA World Cup draw.
“The Prime Minister and Mr. Trump will have a brief meeting during their time together at the Kennedy Center,” Ms. Champoux said.
The FIFA draw will take place at the Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
She said Mr. Carney will also meet for a short period with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
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Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. The draw on Friday by the International Association Football Federation, known by its French initials FIFA, will determine the groups that competing countries are placed in. The event is scheduled to last two hours.
The Prime Minister has played down expectations of a breakthrough during the public event.
Canada and the United States have not held formal trade negotiations since Mr. Trump broke off talks on Oct. 23, citing an Ontario government TV ad that criticized protectionist tariffs of the kind his administration has imposed on Canada.
The last time Mr. Carney and Mr. Trump met face to face was at a private dinner in South Korea before the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in late October. Little materialized, however. The two men acknowledged each other, made finger guns at one another and smiled, appearing to exchange pleasantries.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at a FIFA World Cup event in Washington on Friday as trade negotiations between Canada and the United States remain on pause.
The Canadian Press
A mandated review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, is under way in all three countries.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said the United States will either let the USMCA expire or negotiate a new deal.
Brian Clow, a former deputy chief of staff to prime minster Justin Trudeau, who worked on the USMCA during his years in the Prime Minister’s Office, said he’s pessimistic about how the mandated review of the agreement will unfold. The U.S. under Mr. Trump is seeking gains from renegotiation without any interest in benefits for Canada or Mexico, he said.
“I think the Trump administration is not looking for deals that help all three countries. They’re looking for unilateral concessions from Canada and Mexico. So, it’s going to make getting through the review challenging,” he said.
