President Donald Trump has made repeated threats to make its neighbor to the north, Canada, the 51st state of the United States.
Meanwhile, Mark Carney has been officially sworn in as Canada's new prime minister, following the resignation of predecessor Justin Trudeau.
According to foreign media, Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, will try to steer his country through a trade war brought on by Donald Trump.
Speaking at a news conference after the swearing-in ceremony in Ottawa, Carney said Trump's statements were "madness" and Canada "will never be part of the US."
The US president has imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products from April 2.
Carney has already said he is ready to meet Trump if he shows "respect for Canadian sovereignty" and is willing to take "a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach to trade."
The prime minister also said he will keep retaliatory tariffs on American goods in place until the US shows Canada some respect, writes A2 CNN.
Canada, which is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S., this week announced retaliatory tariffs of 25% on those metals along with computers, sporting goods and other products worth $20 billion in total.
Canada already imposed tariffs on March 4 of the same value on American goods in response to broader tariffs from Trump.
Carney also said he respects what Trump is seeking to achieve and hopes to have a phone call with the president. (A2 Televizion)
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