Poilievre Warns Against Replacing US Trade With Other Countries in Rebuttal to Carney’s Address

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre warned against Canada attempting to replace trade with the United States with that of other countries in a rebuttal to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent address to Canadians.

In a video posted to social media on April 20, Poilievre said Carney has not presented a viable plan to replace more than 2 million Canadian jobs that rely on trade with the United States.

“Now he claims he will replace the U.S. with other countries so let me ask you this: How many new trade deals with other countries do you think he has negotiated in his year in office? Zero,” Poilievre said.

The Tory leader noted the last trade agreement the Liberal government made was with Indonesia under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late 2024. He said that agreement will “boost annual exports with that country by only enough to replace just five hours of exports to the U.S.”

Poilievre said that in the year since Carney became prime minister, he has made “a dozen non-binding, unenforceable memorandums” with other countries, but that they “amount to little more than press releases.” Carney has made several international trips over the last year in an effort to boost trade and investment, including to China, Japan, India, Australia, and Qatar.

In an April 19 address to Canadians, Carney had said he would provide regular updates about his government’s plans to create new partnerships with other countries and attract more investment to Canada. Carney said the United States had “fundamentally changed” its approach to trade by raising tariffs, and that Canada needed to respond.

The prime minister said that while the Liberal government’s plan was to attract investment and make new partnerships, there were “some who say there’s no need for a comprehensive plan,” and that Canada should “wait it out in the hope that the United States will return to normal.”

“Hope isn’t a plan, and nostalgia is not a strategy,” Carney said, adding that Canada should not rely on one trading partner.

In his video, Poilievre accused Carney of pushing fear of the U.S. administration in his address to Canadians to distract from issues at home.

“It’s not surprising that the prime minister wants to distract from his costly failures by pushing fear and re-upping his rhetoric,” Poilievre said.

In a post on X the same day, Poilievre said “Canada’s economic foundation is crumbling,” noting “$1 Trillion net investment exodus in 10 years. More businesses closing than opening. Worst food inflation, highest housing costs, and most household debt among G7 countries.”

The Tory leader said despite campaign promises to fast-track “nation-building” projects, Carney’s government had not yet approved any major new projects or removed laws and bureaucracy that block resource development. He said Carney’s promise to “negotiate a win” with the U.S. on trade by July 2025 had failed, with tariffs on Canada only increasing.

Carney’s address was released as Canada, Mexico, and the United States prepare to potentially renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement in July, which would lead to it remaining in force until 2032. If the renewal is denied or delayed, the agreement could enter a period of annual reviews, and if one or more countries withdraw from the trilateral agreement altogether, the three countries could then make bilateral agreements.