Carney congratulates new UK PM Burnham as Canada confronts new US tariff threat

"Congratulations to Andy Burnham on becoming the new Prime Minister of the UK," Carney wrote on X, saying Canada and Britain shared "history, enduring ties, and deep connections between our peoples."

"I look forward to working with Prime Minister Burnham to build greater security, stability, and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic," he added.

The message came hours after Burnham formally took office following an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Keir Starmer.

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham pledged a "circuit breaker for Britain", promising sweeping political and economic reforms aimed at restoring public trust after years of political instability.

He also announced plans to devolve more powers to local authorities, support British industry and tackle long-term rough sleeping through an initial £340 million investment.

Earlier on Monday, Carney condemned the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after Washington announced its intention to impose a 50% tariff on a significant number of Canadian goods, describing the move as the latest in a series of unilateral trade actions.

In a statement, Carney said the proposed tariffs violated the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and followed earlier U.S. duties on Canada's auto sector.

"Canada has made a series of detailed and comprehensive proposals to resolve this dispute and to modernise CUSMA. We stand ready to intensify those discussions in the coming weeks," Carney said.

He said Canada remained committed to free and fair trade despite signing more than 20 new economic and security partnerships over the past year, adding that Ottawa would "take any measures necessary" to protect Canadian workers, businesses, farmers and families.

Burnham's appointment marks a new chapter in Canada-UK relations at a time when Ottawa is seeking to deepen ties with key allies amid growing trade friction with its largest trading partner, the United States.