Carney rejects US trade demands over French language as Trump threatens new tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has defended Canada’s French language protections after trade negotiations with the United States collapsed, as President Donald Trump threatened another round of tariffs.

Speaking alongside Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette on Monday, Carney said American negotiators viewed French language rules as an “irritant … in Quebec, these are rights”.

Carney said Canada “could not accept” a proposed trade agreement that would weaken protections for French and his government “will not give what they have asked”.

The comments came days after Carney instructed Canadian negotiators to walk away from talks. US tariffs affecting about five percent of Canadian exports took effect over the weekend, with Canada planning retaliatory measures in September.

Fréchette backed Carney’s decision, saying French language and culture represented a “red line” for Quebec.

“Our culture, our language is central to our identity and it is important to exclude that from the negotiation table,” she said, according to The Guardian.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer disputed reports that French language protections were part of negotiations, calling them “a funny fake story”.

Carney rejected that description, saying the issue was not “funny”.

Trump meanwhile accused Canada of “ripping off the United States of America for years” and threatened higher tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, auto parts and steel from January.