Agencies Ottawa

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he had wide-ranging and constructive discussions with US President Donald Trump in the White House, although the two leaders disagreed on tariffs lifting and the "51st state," according to the live broadcast of CBC News. 

Giving a post-meeting news conference in Washington, Carney said that he and Trump agreed to have further conversations in the coming weeks and meet again in person at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Xinhua news agency reported.

Carney said he told Trump it's "not useful" to repeat the 51st state idea, adding that Trump is the president who is going to say whatever he wants. "He understands that we are having a negotiation between sovereign nations," said Carney. Responding to the question if he is heading back to Ottawa with any tangible progress on ending the trade war, Carney said they had some very specific things to follow up on and build out from that.

"These are the discussions you have when you're looking to find solutions," he said. While Trump made it clear that the tariffs, especially those on the auto sector, would stay in place, Carney said, "We'll see." Canadian workers and suppliers in auto plant towns are worried that the longer the tariff dispute goes on, the less likely those finished cars are to be sold, reported CBC News.

"If he (Trump) actually achieves shutting down production in Canada and Mexico, it doesn't mean he's going to get new production in the US," Flavio Volpe, president of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, was quoted as saying. Volpe said he hopes Carney will announce further meetings with Trump: "I want to know that we've set a date for the next game."