PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump: ‘Time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore’
· The Straits Times- US President Trump imposed 50% tariffs on US$20 billion of Canadian imports after trade talks failed, stating Canada can no longer act as before.
- Canada retaliated with matching tariffs and aid for affected businesses and workers, effective from September 8.
- White House adviser Navarro predicted Canada will get a worse deal than before, criticising Canada for rejecting a favourable offer.
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on Aug 26 that it was “time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore”, just days after trade talks between the neighbouring countries broke down.
“I had a deal, that was a pretty good deal, you know. Quite good,” Trump told Glenn Beck in an interview.
“They don’t have anything that we have to have, okay. We can get by. I mean, there are a couple of things that would make it a little inconvenient, but we can get them elsewhere. And it’s time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore.”
Trump imposed new 50 per cent tariffs on US$20 billion (S$25 billion) of Canadian imports on Aug 22 after talks between the two countries collapsed.
Canada hit back on Aug 25 with retaliatory tariffs on about US$20 billion worth of US annual imports and rolled out aid for businesses and workers, matching Washington’s latest duties dollar for dollar. They take effect on Sept 8.
Trump also announced 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian autos and parts that will take effect on Jan 1. Canada has said that the US refused to extend tariff relief to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as one reason it did not reach an agreement.
The Canadian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Aug 26.
White House adviser Peter Navarro predicted on Aug 26 that the deal Canada will ultimately strike with the US will be worse than what was offered last week.
“It just is not going to end well for Canada and I predict that the deal you got, that you turned your nose up, you’re never going to get that deal again,” Navarro said on C-SPAN. “Whatever you get is going to be less than that.”
Navarro added that the US deal offered to Canada “made me uncomfortable” given how advantageous he thought it was for the US’ northern neighbour.
“There’s no way economically they should have turned it down,” Navarro said. REUTERS