Canada will remove all tariffs on US goods that are compliant with the existing North American free trade agreement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday, matching exemptions affirmed earlier this month by Washington. 

President Donald Trump called the move "nice."

Speaking to reporters a day after a lengthy call with Trump, Carney said Canada has "the best deal of any country with the United States right now."

Following a series of agreements the United States has signed with major partners including the European Union, Carney said it was clear the Trump administration is compelling countries "to buy access to the world's largest economy."

He said the average tariff rate on goods entering the United States from around the world was now at 16 percent, up from two percent before Trump took office. 

The US tariff rate on Canadian goods was 5.6 percent, the prime minister said, adding "85 percent of our trade is tariff-free."

Carney has said it was crucial the United States decided earlier this month to maintain its tariff exemption on all goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Effective 1 September, Canada will match that exemption as a goodwill gesture, as it aims to "intensify" discussions with the Trump administration on a broader trading relationship, the prime minister said.  

'Puck in the net'

Carney, a former competitive hockey player, said the decision to remove some counter-tariffs reflected the evolving stages of those negotiations. 

"There is a time in the game... (when) we dropped the gloves in the first period to send a message," he said, using hockey terminology for punching an opponent.  

"There's also a time in the game... (when) you want to put the puck in the net," he said, stressing Ottawa was now focused on clinching a deal that could offer long-term benefits for the Canadian economy. 

Asked if he had received assurances from Trump on Thursday that the tariff announcement would help kickstart talks on a broader trade deal, Carney said "yes."

Trump said he "had a very good talk" with Carney on Thursday. 

"I like Carney a lot. I think he's a good, good person," the president said. 

Carney also stressed his government was focused on preparing for USMCA revision talks set for next year, a timeline agreed by all sides when the deal was signed during Trump's first term. 

Trump's global sector-specific tariffs — namely those targeting all auto, steel and aluminum imports — have done the most damage in Canada. 

"Canada will retain our tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos as we work intensively with the US to resolve the issues there," Carney said. 

"Our focus now is squarely on these strategic sectors and the future."

by Dave Chan with Ben Simon in Toronto