OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at a World Cup event in Washington next week. However, Carney urged Canadians not to overinterpret their discussions. He stated on Wednesday that trade negotiations with the United States have not resumed.

Carney revealed that he spoke with Trump on Tuesday but emphasized that the conversation was not significant. "This is the kind of thing I didn’t want to get drawn into, which is every little exchange," he told reporters. "There are substantive meetings and conversations and negotiations, and that’s not what I’m alluding to, to be clear."

His comments came during an announcement in Ottawa regarding additional support for Canada’s steel and lumber industries, which are facing challenges due to U.S. tariffs.

In late October, Trump halted trade talks with Canada, expressing frustration over advertisements from the Ontario government that referenced remarks made by former President Ronald Reagan in 1987. These ads aimed to illustrate the negative impacts of tariffs. Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Canada after the Ontario premier continued airing the ads during the World Series broadcasts. Although these tariffs were proposed, they have not been implemented, and Trump has not clarified what they would target.

Previously, Carney had indicated that Canada was close to reaching an agreement with the U.S. after months of negotiations concerning tariffs on steel, aluminum, and the auto sector. The breakdown in talks occurred shortly after Trump praised Carney during a meeting in the Oval Office, just before both leaders were scheduled to attend international summits in Asia.

During the trip, Trump stated he did not plan to speak with Carney for some time, saying, "I’m very happy with the deal we have right now with Canada. We’re going to let it ride."

Carney and Trump dined together on October 29 with a small group of world leaders, where Carney apologized for the Ontario ad campaign. Recently, Carney faced backlash for his dismissive response to a reporter's question about his last conversation with Trump, saying, "Who cares?" After receiving criticism from opposition parties, he acknowledged that his choice of words was inappropriate.

The upcoming event in Washington will be the final draw for the FIFA World Cup, which Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. are co-hosting. Carney described the event as "an important event for Canada." He added, "I’ll see the president around there, but I don’t want to over-signal things. What matters is the negotiations, when they re-engage. They haven’t re-engaged yet, so that’s the fundamental point."

Carney concluded by stating that Canada is prepared to resume trade discussions whenever the U.S. is ready.