Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday said Canada could offset the effects of any U.S. tariffs by removing internal trade barriers and that he aimed for free trade within the country by July 1, after meeting provincial and territorial leaders.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada aims to have free internal trade by removing barriers between provinces and territories by Canada Day on July 1, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday following a meeting with provincial and territorial leaders as the country responds to U.S. tariffs.

The former two-time central banker is expected to pitch himself as the candidate best equipped for a trade battle with the US.

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to trigger the process for an early parliamentary election this weekend for an expected vote on April 28. The election will take place against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Mark Carney is a newcomer to elected politics, with decades of experience in finance. After his landslide victory, he pledged to continue tariffs on the U.S. "until the Americans show us respect."

The Canadian prime minister hit out at Trump's "unjust" tariff plans and suggestions that the country could become the 51st state.