First ministers meeting to focus on what Canada can control: Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada's premiers huddled in a meeting room in Ottawa on Thursday, under the long shadow of the upcoming negotiations on renewing North America's key free trade agreement.

Canada, the United States and Mexico are starting a review this year of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, and U.S. President Donald Trump is already threatening new tariffs.

Just ahead of the meeting, Carney said days talks will focus "on what we can control."

The prime minister said he and the premiers will discuss ways they can work together to forge new international trade partnerships and attract domestic investment.

"As we're building new partnerships abroad, we're focused on building our strength at home and transforming our economy," Carney said while opening the meeting Thursday.

Heading into the talks Thursday morning, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told reporters he sees the meeting as an opportunity to discuss the future of Canada's relationship with Washington.

"What I would like to hear is a conversation around really clarifying what Canada needs in that trade relationship moving forward, and whether or not then we're able to actually present that and move with respect to, not the renegotiation of CUSMA, but the review of CUSMA," Moe said.

Kicking off the meeting, Carney thanked the premiers for working to reduce interprovincial trade barriers in their jurisdictions, but added more can be done.

"To realize our full potential, we need to break down the remaining costly and long-standing barriers once and for all," he said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt both said Wednesday they agree with Carney's recent suggestion that "almost nothing is normal" right now with the United States.

Taking questions on her way into the meeting Thursday, Holt said she wasn't seeing a lot of U.S. interest in softwood lumber, meaning a deal outside of CUSMA is unlikely.

"But we are constantly looking at ways to make it clear to the U.S. administration how the U.S. lumber producers are suffering under a low price," Holt said.

Premiers are looking to present a united "Team Canada" front, though ongoing interprovincial disagreements are causing some tension.

Key among them is B.C.'s frustration over Ottawa's endorsement of a possible pipeline to the West Coast.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters asking about the prospect of a new pipeline Wednesday that she saw signs of "progress" and that talks with B.C. Premier David Eby and Carney went very well.