Canada has been 'over reliant on the US for too long', says Joly

Canada has been "over reliant connected the US for excessively long," and wants to forge person ties with the UK and the EU, Canada's overseas curate Melanie Joly said.

"We are the astir European of each non-European countries," she told the BBC connected Wednesday. "That's wherefore we privation to beryllium person to Europe."

Her latest remarks travel aft she and Prime Minister Mark Carney met with US President Donald Trump successful the Oval Office connected Tuesday to speech astir a caller partnership.

US-Canada relations person been tense successful caller months, aft Trump imposed tariffs connected Canada's auto, aluminium and alloy industries, and said Canada would beryllium amended disconnected arsenic a US state.

The gathering betwixt Trump and Carney, however, appeared to spell well, arsenic the 2 agreed connected a "fresh start" for the US-Canada relationship, Joly said.

The overseas curate told the BBC connected Wednesday that it was important for Canada to asseverate its sovereignty portion putting itself successful a presumption to negociate a "new commercialized and information partnership" with its confederate neighbour.

"I deliberation we're up to a bully start," Joly said, but added: "We cognize that determination is simply a batch of unpredictability coming retired of the White House, and we cognize that we person to beryllium acceptable and clasp steady."

While Trump praised Carney during and aft Tuesday's meeting, his messages were mixed connected the question of whether helium would region tariffs connected Canada.

He was initially non-committal, saying "we'll beryllium talking astir antithetic things", but aboriginal told reporters determination was thing Carney could accidental to sway him successful Canada's favour.

Trump has imposed wide tariffs of 25% connected Canada and Mexico, and sector-specific import taxes connected cars, immoderate of which person been suspended pending negotiations.

The US president, who accuses Canada of not doing capable to halt the travel of fentanyl south, levied akin duties connected alloy and aluminium.

Joly said the tariffs caused wide anxiousness successful Canada, and became the fig 1 ballot question successful the caller Canadian election.

"Some person mislaid their jobs, and galore families are affected," she said. "My occupation and the premier minister's occupation is to marque definite that we support them."

Carney told reporters that helium "pressed the case" to the US president connected lifting tariffs, and recovered him to beryllium "willing to person that negotiation".

On Wednesday, the premier curate was backmost successful Ottawa wherever helium held a virtual gathering with the leaders of Canada's provinces to update them connected his trip.

Ontario premier Doug Ford told reporters that they congratulated Carney.

"I don't deliberation I'd person the restraint that helium had, to beryllium precise frank, but successful saying that, I deliberation it's a bully commencement connected a caller relationship," Ford said.

Carney is present engaged assembling his cabinet, which is expected to beryllium unveiled adjacent week up of Canada's parliament opening aboriginal this month.

The premier curate invited King Charles III to formally unfastened parliament connected 27 May - the archetypal clip Canada's monarch has done truthful since 1977.

The King's sojourn is yet different "clear signal" of Canada's sovereignty, Joly said.

Canada besides plans to big the G7 acme successful June, which Trump is expected to attend.