2018 – Canada arrests Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States, triggering a diplomatic crisis that leads Beijing to detain two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor [5].

2021 – China releases Kovrig and Spavor, ending the high‑profile hostage dispute but leaving a lingering mistrust that shadows later trade talks [5].

2024 – Canada imposes a 100 % tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25 % duty on steel and aluminium; China retaliates with 100 % tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25 % on pork and seafood, creating a tit‑for‑tat trade war [12].

Oct 2025 – An Asia summit produces a framework for a Canada‑China trade agreement, averting a broader trade clash and setting the stage for bilateral negotiations [8].

Jan 16 2026 – Prime Minister Mark Carney meets President Xi Jinping in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, announcing a “new strategic partnership” that cuts Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola seed to ~15 % by March and reduces Canada’s EV tariff to 6.1 % for an initial 49 000 vehicles per year, with a cap rising to ~70 000 over five years [5][7][9][18]; Xi says the partnership should be “a new type of strategic partnership,” and Carney declares, “the world has changed and this deal positions Canada for a new world order.”

Jan 16 2026 – Ottawa formally lowers the 100 % tariff on Chinese electric cars, sets the 49 000‑vehicle cap, and announces broader tariff relief on lobsters, crabs and peas, framing the move as a deliberate shift away from over‑reliance on the United States [18].

Jan 17 2026 – Carney emphasizes that the China talks are “preliminary” and that Canada seeks “strategic autonomy” by diversifying trade, while analysts note the deal could help Canada build its own EV sector and attract Chinese investment within three years [15][16].

Jan 24 2026 – President Donald Trump posts on Truth Social that the United States will impose an immediate 100 % tariff on all Canadian imports if Ottawa finalises the China pact, calls Carney “Governor Carney,” and warns, “China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it” [3][14][19]; the same day he revokes Carney’s invitation to his “Board of Peace.”

Jan 25 2026 – Trump escalates his rhetoric, stating the Canada‑China deal will “systematically destroy” Canada and shares a video of an auto‑industry leader warning of the agreement’s risks [8].

Jan 26 2026 – China’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun asserts the strategic partnership “does not target any third party,” while Carney reiterates that Canada is not pursuing a free‑trade agreement with China and stresses compliance with USMCA notification rules; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarifies the tariff threat applies only if Chinese goods enter the U.S. market [2].

Jan 27 2026 – Carney tells reporters, “to be absolutely clear, I meant what I said in Davos,” rejecting Treasury Secretary Bessent’s claim that he “aggressively walked back” his remarks and describing his phone call with Trump as a “very good conversation on a wide range of subjects” [1]; he also announces a plan to seal about a dozen new trade deals across four continents within six months, aiming to double non‑U.S. exports as the USMCA review approaches [11].

Jan 28 2026 – Bessent warns Carney not to “pick a fight” ahead of the formal USMCA review, saying, “I would not pick a fight going into USMCA to score some cheap political points,” while noting the review is mandatory later in 2026 [10].

Early 2026 (coming weeks) – The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether President Trump can invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the proposed 100 % tariffs on Canadian goods [6].

Mid‑2026 (later this year) – Carney plans to travel to Qatar and attend the World Economic Forum after leaving China, signalling a broader diplomatic push beyond the North‑American corridor [18].

2026‑2030 – Canada sets a target to lift its exports to China by roughly 50 % by 2030 as part of the strategic partnership’s long‑term goals [7].

2026 – Taiwan agrees to invest $250 billion in the United States in exchange for reducing its tariff rate to 15 % from 20 %, illustrating the wider global shift toward alternative trade arrangements amid U.S. protectionism [15].