TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for a new economic partnership with the United States during a speech at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, May 28, 2026. His remarks came ahead of the mandatory July 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Carney urged the creation of a “true partnership” that re-imagines cooperation in specific sectors challenged by global competition. “An integrated North American market for production is the best and most durable way to confront intense global competition,” he said.

He emphasized that while Canada is diversifying trade by signing deals with dozens of countries, its relationship with the U.S. remains vital. “Canada Strong will help make America great again. The examples are legion where we should work together and compete with the world together. And to those ends, we have made specific, practical proposals to the US Administration,” he said. He added that Canada is America’s largest customer, buying more goods than China, Japan and Germany combined.

Carney noted Canada’s role as a key supplier of energy and critical minerals, stating, “At a time of a global energy crisis, Canada provides the United States with the reliable power and critical minerals that help fuel American growth: 99% of U.S. natural gas imports, 85% of electricity imports and 60% of crude oil imports.” He also noted that Canadian aluminum exports to the U.S. are the energy equivalent of 10 Hoover Dams and questioned, “With America’s growing energy needs, does it make sense to build the Gigawatts needed to replace Canada?”

He said American tariffs are causing a chill in investment and pointed out that on automobiles, Canada is America’s biggest customer. He stressed that Canada, with its vast reserves of potash, nickel, copper and uranium, can be the most reliable supplier to support U.S. food security, national defense and AI infrastructure.

“Our core objective across these partnerships is to increase our strategic autonomy. Because we live in a world where integration has been weaponised. Because a country that cannot feed, fuel or defend itself is not truly sovereign,” he said. He added, “We know that, when Canada and the United States have had our differences over the years, we have always — eventually — worked through them, because our shared values and common interests run deep. They run through our economies.”

Carney has set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade. Meanwhile, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade, Dominic LeBlanc, is scheduled to travel to Washington next week for talks as President Donald Trump prepares to decide whether to renew the free trade agreement.