President Donald Trump is set to begin the first day of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Alberta, Canada, with a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as tensions simmer between Washington and Ottawa over trade and a controversial remark by the U.S. leader likening Canada to the “51st state.”
The high-level summit, which brings together leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations — the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan — will focus on global economic challenges, security cooperation, and climate action. But trade friction between the U.S. and Canada is expected to cast a long shadow over proceedings.
Trump’s comments earlier this year suggesting that Canada “acts like America’s 51st state” drew sharp criticism in Ottawa and reignited debates over U.S.-Canada trade dynamics. Prime Minister Carney, in a previous meeting at the White House in May, firmly rejected any notion of political subordination, stating, “Canada is a sovereign nation and will remain so.”
That meeting, which was focused on tariffs and trade agreements, ended on a tense note, with both leaders acknowledging “fundamental differences” on key economic issues, particularly over auto tariffs and agricultural exports.
As the summit opens, all eyes will be on how the Trump-Carney dialogue unfolds and whether it leads to any breakthrough or further strain between the two allies.
The G7 summit continues through the weekend with plenary sessions on global inflation, supply chain resilience, artificial intelligence governance, and geopolitical flashpoints, including ongoing crises in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
