Carney Government Urges Liberal MPs to Avoid Escalating Tensions With U.S. Amid Trade War

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government has urged its MPs to avoid publicly escalating tensions with the United States as the two countries remain locked in an increasingly bitter trade dispute.

According to reports, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc made the request during a Liberal caucus call, asking MPs to exercise caution when speaking about the United States on social media. MPs were also reportedly encouraged to decline requests from U.S. media networks to discuss Canada-U.S. trade issues.

The appeal came shortly after Prime Minister Mark Carney took a much tougher public stance against the Trump administration’s latest tariff measures, describing the U.S. actions as an attack on Canada. Carney has maintained that Canada is prepared to defend its economic interests while continuing to pursue a fair trade agreement with Washington.

The government’s decision to ask Liberal MPs to avoid inflammatory comments is being viewed as an effort to keep the door open for future negotiations with the United States. Ottawa has been trying to balance a strong response to U.S. tariffs with the need to preserve the possibility of renewed trade discussions.

The latest escalation follows the collapse of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and the imposition of new U.S. tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods. Canada has responded with retaliatory measures, while Carney has said Ottawa remains open to scaling back some of its tariffs if Washington takes meaningful steps toward reducing its own duties.

Meanwhile, Conservative Party Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman has criticized the Carney government over its handling of retaliatory tariffs on American goods. She has particularly questioned the government’s decision to remove seafood and fish products from the counter-tariff list only days after announcing the measures.