Canada is 'not for sale, never' new leader Mark Carney tells Donald Trump
US president responds: "never say never".
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told his US counterpart Donald Trump that Canada was not for sale and would not become the 51st state of the United States.
Carney, speaking in front of reporters alongside Trump at the White House on Tuesday, said Canada was "not for sale, won't be ever."
The US President said he stood by his comments on making Canada the US's 51st state, claiming benefits for Canadians would include free military and massive tax cuts.
He said the countries would have a "wonderful marriage" and referred to Canada as a "real estate opportunity".
But Carney told Trump he had met with the "owners" of Canada throughout the recent election campaign.
He said there were "some places that are never for sale", to which Trump replied, "never say never".
The Oval office appearance between the two leaders ended without any major fireworks and both men praised each other during the encounter.
Carney, who ran on an anti-Trump platform in the recent election, praised Trump's "relentless focus on the American worker" while the US president said he had a "lot of respect" for the Canadian premier.
However Trump said there was nothing Carney could say that would convince him to lift tarrifs on Canada.