America's top trading partners are responding to President Donald Trump's trade policies by trying to take their business elsewhere.

Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed a “new strategic partnership” in Beijing on Friday that included a break with the United States on tariffs.

The last time a Canadian Prime Minister visited China was in 2017, when Justin Trudeau met Xi Jinping in Beijing. That was his second official visit to China.

China responded by imposing duties of 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola exports, an industry group said.

Canada and China struck an initial trade deal on Friday that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola, as both nations promised to tear down trade barriers while forging new strategic ties during Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said China has become a more predictable partner to deal with than the U.S., the country's neighbor and longtime ally.​

Faced with new global challenges, the leaders of China and Canada pledged Friday to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony. Xi Jinping told

Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t mincing words about Canada’s new electric vehicle deal with China, saying Chinese manufacturers are gaining a foothold in the country’s auto market at the expense of Canadian workers.