The prime minister will attend two meetings and visit three countries as part of his plan to wean Canada off its dependence on the U.S.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney embarks on his first official visit to Asia on Friday in an attempt to deepen trade and security ties at a time when the North American country is struggling to lessen its overwhelming dependence on the U.

US President Trump ruled out a meeting with Canadian PM Mark Carney during their upcoming Asia trip and confirmed he had terminated trade negotiations with Canada, calling the actions behind a controversial Canadian advertisement "dishonest".

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sets off on his first official visit to Asia on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada.

Many of our former strengths — based on close ties to America — have become our vulnerabilities," said Canada's leader.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that Canada will not permit unfair US access to its markets if current trade talks do not yield progress, emphasizing, “If we ultimately don’t make progress in these various sectors, we’re going to do what’s necessary to protect our workers,” according to BNN Bloomberg .

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians should be ready for some challenges and sacrifices in a speech outlining some of his government’s priorities for the upcoming federal budget. Carney touted that his government is preparing to build a stronger economy against the backdrop of a more dynamic, a more competitive, a more hostile world.

Canada’s new government is moving decisively to build major nation-building projects that create high-paying careers, reduce emissions, and grow our economy. To that end, the government launched the Major Projects Office to cut red tape and fast-track major nation-building projects.