Trump's G20 boycott could make room for Canada to advance other trade talks

Trump's G20 boycott could make room for Canada to advance other trade talks

Carney expected to meet one-on-one with world leaders including India's Modi

Prime Minister Mark Carney is headed to South Africa on Friday for the G20 where there could be more space on the sidelines to advance trade talks with other countries because U.S. President Donald Trump isn't attending.

A senior Canadian official told CBC News that in Johannesburg, Canada is looking at raising funds with other countries, pushing the country's critical minerals and promoting building more ad hoc groups of nations.

Carney is scheduled to have bilateral meetings on Saturday with the leaders of France, Norway, the E.U., Germany and the U.K., an official said. Carney is also expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

Trump is refusing to attend the G20 or send any American officials, calling it a “total disgrace” that South Africa is hosting the summit this year. A White House spokesperson said Thursday afternoon that the only U.S. presence would be a diplomat for a handover ceremony (the U.S. is next year's G20 chair).

The U.S. president continues to allege South Africa is persecuting white farmers — a claim widely disputed including by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“The absence of the United States removes a big centre of attention from the summit,” said Roland Paris, who was a senior adviser on foreign affairs to former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Without world leaders jockeying for Trump’s time and attention, Paris said, there's a bigger opening for Carney to meet one-on-one on the edges of the G20 with the leaders of other countries.

“It’s one-stop shopping for the prime minister when it comes to meeting with so many countries that we’re trying to develop closer relationships with and more trade,” said Paris, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa.

Carney’s agenda is focused on trying to strengthen Canada and diversify trade to become far less reliant on the U.S.

American tariffs continue to pummel some Canadian sectors and uncertainty is dragging down the economy. The government’s recent budget promised to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade.

Raising funds with other countries

A senior Canadian official told CBC News that Carney is looking at key bilateral meetings to make substantial progress on a few files, including encouraging foreign investment in Canada.

Carney plans on meeting with Qatar which has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund that invests its oil and gas revenues globally, said the official, who CBC News has agreed not to name because they were not authorized to speak about the plans.

‘We are creating a better investment environment': Carney

The official said Canada also wants to talk to the EU about the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — a free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Indo-Pacific.

The United States had been a key player in a previous version of the agreement, but Trump withdrew in 2017 before it could be ratified. Carney suggested in September he’s part of talks to try and get Europe more involved in this bloc.

Carney also plans on pushing Canada’s work on critical minerals and emphasizing that countries could build more coalitions to work on areas they agree on, including clean technology, international finance or critical minerals, the official said.

The Carney government continues to face questions about why it’s trying to improve relations with India after the RCMP last year publicly accused agents of India’s government of involvement in homicides, extortion and threats on Canadian soil. India has denied the accusations.

Just last week, the head of Canada’s spy agency, Dan Rogers, suggested the problem hasn’t gone away and CSIS still has to be “very vigilant” against the alleged threat from India.

A senior Canadian official said with the international trade system ruptured, Canada doesn’t have the luxury of only engaging with countries where Canada is aligned on every issue.

The official, who was also not authorized to speak publicly, said the Carney government is taking a “clear-eyed-view” that it’s better to work with countries like India on issues where there is agreement.

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“There’s a real attempt to reset the relationship and still try to deal with some of the issues that took it off course over the last two years,” said Sanjay Ruparelia, the Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at Toronto Metropolitan University.

One of the next steps to advance relations would be for Carney to visit India. When the two leaders meet, they could discuss a date for a future visit.

Anand aims to reset ties with India after rupture under Trudeau

But the relationship between the two countries remains fragile and could hit a rocky patch again.

Evidence is expected to be made public as the Canadian criminal case into the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar works its way through court.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2023 that there were credible allegations potentially linking in India to Nijjar's killing — a claim India denies.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has repeatedly defended the government’s efforts to improve relations, saying public safety concerns are at the forefront of all talks with India.

Ashley Burke is a senior reporter with the CBC's Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa. She was recognized with the Charles Lynch Award and was a finalist for the Michener Award for her exclusive reporting on the toxic workplace at Rideau Hall. She has also uncovered allegations of sexual misconduct in the Canadian military. You can reach her confidentially by email: ashley.burke@cbc.ca