Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday that if his government could not secure a suitable trade pact with the Trump administration, he was prepared to wait for a new American president.

In an interview with POLITICO conducted in Montreal, Carney delivered a direct response to ongoing trade tensions just days before U.S. midterm elections. He reiterated that Canada would not accept a deal simply for the sake of reaching an agreement.

Asked specifically whether that position meant holding out for a new president, Carney answered affirmatively. “We’ll have to, if that’s what it takes,” he said, adding that American families and businesses would also suffer as a result.

Trade negotiations between the two countries have stalled since Canada walked away from talks in August. Both sides have since imposed new tariffs, with the U.S. applying 50 percent duties on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods and Canada responding in kind.

Carney made the remarks after concluding a summit with European Union officials. He also noted that Canadians are frustrated with repeated diplomatic provocations from Washington and called President Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict “unhelpful.”

The prime minister has maintained throughout the dispute that Canada has clear red lines on issues including autos, culture, and sovereignty that the U.S. proposals have crossed. Earlier statements from Carney indicated that the U.S. had asked too much while offering too little in the collapsed August round.

Despite the firm stance, Carney has left the door open for future talks if Washington shows more flexibility. Discussions have seen some recent intensification, though officials on both sides describe the remaining gaps as substantial.

The comments mark one of Carney’s most pointed public pushbacks against the Trump administration amid sensitive bilateral economic relations.