Event1 May 2026Statement

Carney tells the Canadian Press that Canada won't use energy or critical minerals as leverage in trade talks with the US

In an interview with the Canadian Press on 1 May 2026, Prime Minister Carney said Canada would not use energy or critical minerals as "leverage" in the upcoming trade talks with the Trump administration, and that Canada is not talking about halting that trade with the US. "I reject that characterization of it's leverage. It's looking at, is it in our mutual interest to trade more? Where is it? And if it's not there, we have other options," he said. He also asked: "Should we be further integrating our energy markets with the United States at a time they view that as, quote, 'leverage'?" The Canadian Press read this as suggesting that further integration in those sectors is in question. On 29 April, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had told visiting Canadians in Washington that Canada should not try to use its energy and natural resources as leverage in the talks on the continental trade pact.

Date: 1 May 2026
Kind: Trade talks
Where: Canada
Evidence: Statement: Something was said. Weighted lowest: words cost less than actions. How evidence is weighed
Who: Government of Canada (acted); Mark Carney (spoke)

Latest articles

No article cites this record yet.

Sources

Global News, “Carney: Canada won't leverage energy, critical minerals in U.S. trade talks” (external site), 1 May 2026. source record
CP24, “Canada won't 'leverage' energy, critical minerals in trade talks: PM” (external site), 1 May 2026. source record
Daily Commercial News (Canadian Press), “Canada won't use energy, critical minerals as 'leverage' in trade talks: PM” (external site), 6 May 2026. source record
The Globe and Mail, “Prime Minister should explain Canada's 'leverage' in U.S. trade talks, Poilievre says” (external site), 3 May 2026. paywalled source record

Quotes

“But the prime minister also suggested further integration with the United States in those sectors — highly coveted by the Trump administration — remains in question.”

From Global News: Carney: Canada won't leverage energy, critical minerals in U.S. trade talks, para. 3 (quoted in coverage, not taken from the original)

“Should we be further integrating our energy markets with the United States at a time they view that as, quote, 'leverage'?”

From Daily Commercial News (Canadian Press): Canada won't use energy, critical minerals as 'leverage' in trade talks: PM, para. 5 (quoted in coverage, not taken from the original)

How it bears on the outcome

Explanation	Fit	Why
C0 Ottawa as victim	Neutral weak	Declining to use energy as leverage fits a government on the receiving end, but also other readings.
C1 Ottawa opportunistic	Neutral weak	Mentioning 'other options' is consistent with diversification, but a statement alone shows little use of the crisis.
C2 Ottawa in no hurry	Fits weak	Publicly questioning further energy integration with the US is consistent with a government in no hurry to settle; it is a statement.
C3 Ottawa coordinating with Washington	Against weak	Openly questioning energy integration would be somewhat surprising if Ottawa were coordinating with Washington.