Carney faces Parliament over failed talks and the disputed 'Fortress North America' plan

Prime Minister Mark Carney will be questioned in the House of Commons after his recent remarks to the European Parliament that the United States sought to insert language restricting Canada’s freedom to conclude trade agreements with other nations. While Carney has been vague, U.S. officials dispute his account, and a New York one outlet's report says the “Fortress North America” concept - ultra-low tariffs between Canada and the United States and harmonised tariffs for other countries - originated from Ottawa.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told one outlet that Canada pushed the idea to keep foreign steel and aluminium out of the U.S. market. The proposed arrangement would have granted Canada tariff-free trade with the U.S. while matching U.S. tariffs on third-country goods, but the United States wanted to retain higher duties on autos and steel, offering Canada little concession. Critics argue the plan would have ceded too much sovereignty and weakened Canada’s position ahead of CUSMA renegotiations. The piece warns that aligning fully with U.S. trade policy could place Canada under a broader North American bureaucracy rather than an independent stance.