The conversation marks the latest uptick in trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington.

David Coletto, the boss of Abacus Data, a polling firm, reckons Mr Carney probably amassed domestic political capital with his Davos speech, a rallying cry to stand up to Mr Trump, which plays well with most Canadians.

When he spoke at Davos this week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney referenced a 1978 essay by Vaclav Havel, written when Czechoslovakia was under Soviet control.

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday downplayed US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat against Canada, saying the comments should be viewed with an eye toward an upcoming trade deal