Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering a trip to Washington early next month, which could provide an opportunity to restart talks with the White House about relief from certain hefty tariffs.

"Prime Minister Carney is making it very clear he is no friend to women and he is no friend to gender equality in this country," NDP MP Leah Gazan told reporters Monday.

The decision to launch negotiations towards a CEPA was announced following a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney.

Conservatives zeroed in on Carney's comments during question period in the House of Commons on Monday. Leader Pierre Poilievre pointed out that Carney campaigned during the spring election on his ability to deal with the Trump administration.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won a vote on his budget in Parliament that could have triggered a possible election.

For decades, Canada maintained a deeply integrated economic relationship with its southern neighbour, characterised by the longest undefended border and one of the world’s largest free trade agreements,

Tensions between the U.S. and Canada remain high following months of Trump administration hardball over trade deals.

South Africa, the G-20 host this year, defied the U.S. by releasing a declaration from the meeting. Trump ordered the stayaway after repeating a debunked claim that White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa are being subjected to a genocide, and Washington said only a chairman’s summary could be released from the gathering in the absence of the U.S.