Vance weighs in on Canada-U.S. trade talks
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance offered a rare, candid glimpse into the tone of ongoing Canada-U.S. trade negotiations this week, telling attendees at a private fundraising event that Prime Minister Mark Carney tried to "out-tough" President Donald Trump during discussions over a new trade arrangement between the two countries.
The comments, first reported by CBC News, came as Vance discussed the broader state of the Canada-U.S. relationship with donors. According to the report, Vance framed Carney's negotiating posture as an attempt to match or outdo Trump's famously hardline style at the bargaining table — a notable characterization given how closely the two leaders' trade positioning has been watched on both sides of the border.
Jivani gets a shoutout
Vance didn't stop at Carney. He also credited his longtime friend, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, as a helpful advocate for Canada throughout the process. The two have a personal relationship that predates their current political roles, and Vance's comments suggest Jivani has been working behind the scenes as a kind of informal bridge between Ottawa and Washington on trade matters.
Jivani, who represents a riding in the House of Commons, has occasionally used his connections south of the border to weigh in on Canada-U.S. issues, though his exact role in these particular negotiations hasn't been detailed publicly beyond Vance's remarks.
Why this matters for Canadians
Trade between Canada and the United States remains one of the most consequential files for the federal government, touching everything from auto manufacturing to agriculture to energy exports. Any signal about how the negotiations are actually unfolding behind closed doors — rather than through official statements — tends to draw attention from businesses and policymakers trying to gauge where things are headed.
Vance's comments, delivered in a private setting rather than an official briefing, offer an unusually informal window into how the U.S. administration perceives Carney's approach. Whether "out-toughing" Trump is meant as a compliment, a criticism, or simply an observation is open to interpretation — but it underscores that trade talks between the two governments have involved real friction and posturing on both sides.
For Ottawa, where much of the federal government's trade strategy is coordinated, remarks like these can shape the political narrative around how well — or how aggressively — Canada is perceived to be defending its interests. With trade negotiations still very much in motion, comments like Vance's are likely to keep circulating as both a talking point for critics and a data point for those trying to read the temperature of the relationship.
No further details on the specific terms being negotiated were disclosed as part of these remarks.
Source: CBC News
