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Or sign-in if you have an account.Much of Mark Carney’s speech was spent outlining his government’s efforts to grow Canada’s energy exports and rapidly expand its military capabilities. Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used a speech in New York to make the case to the Trump administration for closer cooperation on aluminum, auto manufacturing and critical minerals.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe trip comes as pressure builds on Carney to show Canada is still engaged with the United States on trade. American and Mexican negotiators began formal talks this week on potential changes to the continental trade pact known as the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, but Canada is not at that table and there is no schedule yet for its own bilateral discussions.Carney has lately begun pushing a “Fortress North America” message in his public remarks, including in another recent speech which he said Canada is “open to deeper integration” with the U.S.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“Let’s be absolutely clear, Canada Strong will help make America great again,” Carney told the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, combining slogans both leaders use for their own countries.“Examples of where that’s true are legion, where we should work together and compete with the world together. And to those ends, we have made specific practical proposals to the U.S. administration.”It’s a more conciliatory tone compared to earlier this year, when he declared that Canada’s close integration with American supply chains was once a strength but has become a weakness.On Thursday, Carney said aluminum is one clear example where it makes sense for the longstanding allies to cooperate, given the huge amount of production in Quebec using relatively cheap hydro electricity.Canadian exports of aluminum to the U.S. “are the energy equivalent of 10 Hoover Dams,” Carney said. “With America’s growing energy needs because of the incredible transformation here, does it make sense to build the gigawatts here needed to replace Canada?”On autos, he noted that Canada is the biggest customer of American-built cars, and said an integrated North American market is still the best way to compete with the automotive sectors in other regions.The auto sector is expected to be a difficult element of trade discussions with the U.S., as Trump imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian-built cars, with an exemption for the percentage of U.S.-made parts inside the car.Carney has sought to alleviate this with counter-tariffs on U.S. cars and a remission scheme for companies that build cars in Canada.More controversially, he’s also slashed tariffs on a limited number of Chinese-made electric vehicles, a change from Canada’s previous policy of fully matching the 100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs that the U.S. has in place.Carney defended that move, noting the tariff break for Chinese EVs is initially capped at 49,000 annually, a small portion of the 1.8 million cars sold in Canada each year. He told the New York crowd that over time a broad range of cheaper Chinese cars are expected to come in under that system, “but in a controlled way.”Meanwhile, Canada’s reserves of potash, nickel, copper and uranium can also be a major economic advantage for the U.S., Carney said. “Canada can be the most reliable supplier that America needs to put affordable food on the table, strengthen its national defence and meet the exploding demand to power AI.”Much of Carney’s speech was spent outlining his government’s efforts to grow Canada’s energy exports and rapidly expand its military capabilities.He ended by urging the U.S. to forge a closer partnership with what he described as “a different Canada, a stronger Canada, a more confident Canada.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.