US President Barack Obama stepped cautiously in his first foreign trip on Thursday, refraining from asking Canada to rethink its plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and saying changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement can wait.

Obama touched down in late morning in Ottawa and was greeted by Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean, before heading into a day of meetings.

This was Obama's first time since taking office to command an audience abroad. Canada and the US have the biggest bilateral trading relationship in the world.