Poll: Should Canada use oil exports as leverage in trade negotiations with the U.S.? Poll: energy in trade talksPhoto: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Prime Minister Mark Carney makes a housing announcement in Red Deer, Alta., Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney suggested Wednesday that Canada's reputation as a reliable supplier could take a hit if it started using energy exports as leverage in trade talks with the United States. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last week that Canada could "dismantle" the United States if Ottawa and the provinces agreed to use energy exports as leverage against Washington's latest threatened tariffs. Canada's chief trade negotiator Janice Charette and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc were in Washington Wednesday.