Open microphone captures conversation between Carney and Trump about Chinese electric cars at the G7 summit

Evian Le Ban —
A recently captured open microphone side conversation between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in France revolved around trade and Chinese electric cars, despite no official bilateral meeting between the two leaders being announced yet.

During the brief talk, Carney was heard pointing out that Chinese electric cars represent “less than 3% of the” Canadian market, adding that there is a “ceiling” on imports, before telling Trump that this arrangement might be something he would like.

Trump responded by saying: “That’s good, I like it,” in a notable moment given the sensitivity of the issue within trade relations between Canada, the United States, and China.

The conversation comes at a time when Carney’s government is seeking to strike a delicate balance between easing trade tensions with China, especially on agricultural export issues, and avoiding angering Washington, which views the entry of Chinese electric cars into North American markets with great caution.

Canada had moved to adjust its policy towards Chinese electric vehicles by reducing high tariffs while imposing an annual import ceiling, in exchange for expectations that China would lower retaliatory tariffs on Canadian agricultural products.

This issue gains additional importance because the automotive sector in Canada and the United States is highly interconnected, and any significant difference in policy towards Chinese cars could spark tension within broader trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington.

On the sidelines of the summit, talks between trade officials from both countries are scheduled to continue, as Canada places critical minerals, global economic imbalances, and reform of international aid among its priorities at the G7.

The conversation between Carney and Trump, although unofficial, reflects the complexity of Canada’s approach at the current stage: opening channels with China to ease pressure on export sectors, while trying to keep the trade relationship with the United States within manageable limits.