OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he and the country's premiers agreed today to work on a plan to develop a national trade and energy corridor.
Carney and the premiers are meeting in Ottawa to deal with what he called a "crisis" caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
He says after some discussions about the response to the tariffs directly, the premiers turned their sights on "nation building" to build things faster than ever before.
That includes finding ways to better move energy and critical minerals and improve digital connectivity.
The first ministers also talked about moving quickly to eliminate trade barriers between provinces and with the federal government.
Just days before an expected election call, Carney says Ottawa is also going to waive the one-week waiting period to get employment insurance if your job is cut because of the tariffs, and temporarily allow Canadian businesses to defer income tax and GST and HST payments to help boost their liquidity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 21, 2025.
Catherine Morrison and Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
