Carney pitches Canada to global investors amid US trade war

What the report says

Prime Minister Mark Carney is using a Toronto investment summit to present Canada as a destination for global capital at a time of strained trade ties with the United States, Al Jazeera reports. The Canada Investment Summit, held Monday and Tuesday, is bringing together roughly 300 major investors, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and asset managers, along with Canadian officials and business leaders.

According to the report, Carney is urging investors to back projects in energy, mining, ports, transportation, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. His broader goal is to help lift investment in Canada by about $1 trillion over five years, supported by roughly C$280 billion in public investment and incentives. The government says Canada offers access to 1.5 billion consumers through trade agreements with 51 countries, while Carney is pitching the country as stable and rules-based despite global uncertainty.

The summit comes after another escalation in the Canada-U.S. trade conflict. Al Jazeera says Washington has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods, and Ottawa has responded with retaliatory duties. That has increased pressure on Canada to diversify its economy and attract non-U.S. investment. The article notes that many of the projects on offer remain at different stages of readiness, and experts say investors will be watching for faster permitting, clearer rules and credible execution.

The report also highlights domestic criticism, including concerns from labour, Indigenous, housing and climate groups, who argue that public policy should not be shaped mainly around foreign investors. The debate underscores the stakes for Canadians if the summit leads to more resource, infrastructure and logistics development.