U.S. President Donald Trump offered an unusually positive assessment of Canada on Thursday, telling supporters at a rally that Ottawa had been treating Washington "extremely nicely" in recent weeks despite ongoing trade tensions fueled by his tariff policies.

Trump, at a campaign rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for Republican Senate candidate Darline ⁠Graham, said the tariffs he imposed on ​Canada have had the ​effect of ⁠improving ‌relations.

"They're ‌treating us extremely ⁠nicely ‌lately," Trump ​said.

The U.S. accounted for 71.7% of Canada's merchandise exports in 2025. Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to double exports to other countries over the next decade.

The European ​Union and Canada aim to deepen cooperation on AI, climate, energy and security ⁠as they explore the ⁠possibility of Canada becoming the union's first "associate member."

Trump has suggested Canada's proposed EU arrangement could be a "hostile act" and threatened tariffs on Europe if he considered it unfriendly. Asked Wednesday about possible retaliation, a senior Canadian government official told reporters the closer relationship was not directed against the United States but reflected longstanding shared interests.