U.S. Treasury Secretary drags West Edmonton Mall into Canada–U.S. trade spat
Posted Aug 31, 2026 4:36 pm.
An Alberta landmark has unexpectedly landed in the middle of escalating tensions between Canada and the U.S. after a senior member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet used West Edmonton Mall as a punchline while criticizing Ottawa’s approach to negotiations.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking on CNBC on Monday, dismissed the idea that Washington and Ottawa are locked in a “tit‑for‑tat” trade war.
He argued that the two countries can’t be in a trade war because the U.S. economy is so much larger than Canada’s.
“How are we going to be at war with Canada?” Bessent asked. “What are they going to do, take their two submarines from the Edmonton mall and sic them on us?”
The reference is to a long‑closed attraction at the mall. The two submarines were removed more than a decade ago.
Bessent also accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of turning the dispute into a political fight.
Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne is expected to meet Bessent during the G20 finance ministers’ gathering in North Carolina, where Champagne plans to emphasize “shared prosperity” and Canada’s push to diversify trade.
Carney’s office said Monday that the prime minister has been meeting business leaders across multiple sectors to discuss Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S.
With files from The Canadian Press
