TORONTO, March 22, (AP): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday US President Donald Trump will ultimately respect Canada’s sovereignty and be ready for comprehensive trade talks because Americans are going to suffer from Trump's trade war. Carney said talks with Trump will not happen "until we get the respect we deserve as a sovereign nation.

By the way, this is not a high bar.” Trump kept up his near-daily attacks on Canada on Friday, repeating that the country should be the 51st state and that the US keeps Canada "afloat.” "When I say they should be a state, I mean that,” the American president said. Carney met with Canada’s provincial leaders at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, where he announced relief packages for workers and businesses hurt by the trade war and announced moves to expedite resource projects.

Carney, sworn in last Friday, still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump. Trump mocked Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, by calling him Governor Trudeau, but he has not yet mentioned Carney’s name. The new prime minister said he wants a comprehensive discussion on trade and security with the Americans and not a one-off tariff discussion.

"In the end, Americans are going to lose from American trade action and that’s one of the reasons I am confident that there will be that discussion with the appropriate amount of respect and the breadth," Carney said. "I am ready for it anytime they are ready.” Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products as well as all of America's trading partners on April 2.

Carney became Prime Minister after winning a Liberal Party leadership race triggered by Trudeau’s decision to step down earlier this year. He's expected to trigger the process for early parliamentary elections this Sunday, with a vote expected before April 28. The governing Liberals appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war and upended Canadian politics.