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The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carneystated this Thursday that he hopes that the United States “respects the canadian sovereignty” in reaction to information published by the Financial Times: depending on the medium, and separatist group from the province of Alberta has secretly met with the Administration of the American president, Donald Trumplooking for financial support.
“I hope that the US Administration respects Canadian sovereignty at all times and without exceptions. I have always been clear in my conversations with President Trump about this,” Carney said at a press conference.
Carney added that Trump has never discussed the separation of the provinces of Alberta or Quebec with him.
However, he has avoided answering whether he has protested to Washington about the recent comments by the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessantin which he hinted at his possible support for Alberta separatists: “I think we should let them come to the United States […] People want sovereignty. “He wants what the United States has,” he said on a radio show.
For his part, the head of government of the Canadian province of British Columbia, David Eby, has described these contacts with Washington as “betrayal“: “Going to another country and asking for help to break up Canada, that has an old name and is treason,” he declared.
Doug Ford, head of government of the province of Ontario, the most industrialized and populated in the country, and who has distinguished himself for his opposition to Trump’s trade policies, has also reacted to the information by urging the head of government of Alberta, the ultra-conservative Danielle Smithto clarify his position: “Either you are with Canada or you are not,” he stated.
A possible referendum
The Alberta separatist movement, promoted by far-right and ultra-conservative groups, is pressuring the central government to hold a referendum on the independence of the territory, rich in natural resources and a major energy producer, as well as the largest foreign supplier of oil to the United States.
Pro-independence voices claim that Ottawa’s policies are suffocating the province. Carney, a native of Alberta, says he understands the “frustration” of his citizens.
He FT has reported that the separatist group Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) has held secret meetings with Trump Administration officials to request logistical and financial support facing a possible separatist referendum in the province.
Precisely, APP wants the Bessent Treasury Department to grant them a line of credit of 500 million dollars to help Alberta if the independence supporters won the hypothetical referendum.
The province of Quebec is also scheduled to hold elections this year. Currently, the separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) is leading the polls to win the elections. Its leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, has promised to hold an independence referendum, which would be the third in this territory.
Support from the Government of Alberta
Smith, who was the only Canadian provincial head of government to attend Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 and who has expressed her ideological closeness to the US president, has refused to condemn APP’s contacts with members of the US government despite claiming to remain part of Canada.
In fact, he has stated on previous occasions that his job is to defend “a strong Alberta within a united Canada.”
He blames the separatist sentiment, which has 30% of the populationto the policies of the previous prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and to what he considers excessive interference on the part of Ottawa.
“I am not going to demonize or marginalize a million of my citizens when they have legitimate grievances,” said Smith, who in the past has been accused of favoring the rise of the separatist movement in Alberta, a province that concentrates almost all of the country’s oil production and has the largest proven crude reserves on the planet.
Threat of tariffs
In the midst of this controversy, Trump has threatened with imposing a 50% tariff on aircraft from Canada, alleging that the country refuses to certify several aircraft from the American company Gulfstream.
The Republican leader argues in a post on his Truth Social network that Canada has “unfairly, illegally and firmly” refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700 and 800 aircraft, the latter one of the “largest and most technologically advanced models ever manufactured.”
It emphasizes that its neighboring country is prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in the country through said certification process. For this reason, he announced, the US will withdraw the certification of the Bombardier Global Express commercial aircraft, designed by a Canadian company, and of all aircraft manufactured in Canada.
“If, for any reason, this situation is not corrected immediately, I will impose a 50% tariff on Canada on each and every aircraft sold in the United States,” he says.
This week, Trump also threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if Ottawa signs a free trade agreement with China.