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U.S. President Donald Trump sounded an optimistic tone as he sat down with Prime Minister Mark Carney Monday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., to discuss tariffs and other trade irritants — saying he thinks the two sides can hammer out a deal within weeks or sooner.
Speaking briefly to reporters as the two leaders sat down for a bilateral meeting before the wider G7 summit gets underway, Trump said the “primary focus” of the G7 meeting for him is “trade with Canada” and he’s sure the two countries “can work something out.”
While conceding he’s a “tariffs guy” who likes the relative simplicity of imposing broad-based tariffs on other countries to raise revenue and try to bring jobs back to the U.S., Trump said Carney has come forward with “a different concept,” and it’s one “some people like and we’re gonna see if we can get to the bottom of it today.”
“I think Mark has a more complex idea but it’s still very good,” Trump said of some sort of trade pitch Carney has made to the Americans — a proposal that hasn’t yet been made public.
Following his rosy remarks about Carney and Canada at a White House meeting in Washington last month, Trump said he’s “developed a very good relationship” with the prime minister and he’s hopeful the two sides can work out their issues.
In an usual move, Trump was wearing a second pin on his suit lapel.
Below the standard American flag pin that is ubiquitous on the chests of U.S. politicians, Trump wore a second one with the U.S. stars and stripes crossed with the Canadian flag — a friendship pin. Carney, meanwhile, wore his Order of Canada pin.