He won his case, but still expressed his anger. Donald Trump continued to criticize Canada for its “devious move”, despite the withdrawal in one province of the country of a television advertising campaign against the increase in customs duties that had led the US president to break off trade negotiations.
The province of Ontario announced on Friday the suspension of this campaign in which former President Ronald Reagan criticizes customs duties, specifying that the advertisement will be broadcast in the United States this weekend, particularly during the first two games of the final of the North American baseball championship, which traditionally generate a large audience.
“I heard they were going to remove the ad. I didn’t know they were going to broadcast it a little more. They could have removed it tonight,” he added about this campaign that aroused his anger and led him to break off trade negotiations with Canada the day before.
Upon learning that the ad was being canceled in Ontario, he denounced it as a “devious move.” “I can play it more twisted than them,” he threatened, saying he had no intention of speaking to or meeting Prime Minister Mark Carney after this sequence.
A senior US official had previously indicated to AFP that such an interview was possible on Wednesday in South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
The breakdown of trade negotiations constitutes a sharp change by the American president at a time when it seemed possible to close a trade agreement between Ottawa and Washington on steel, aluminum and energy, according to the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail.
broken relationship
Canada is the United States’ second largest trading partner and a major supplier of steel and aluminum to American companies. But their relationship was shaken by Donald Trump’s return to power in January.
The vast majority of cross-border trade remains duty-free, and the United States and Canada continue to adhere to the North American Free Trade Agreement (Aceum).
But the Republican’s global sectoral surcharges, particularly on steel, aluminum and autos, have hit Ottawa hard, causing job losses and putting pressure on businesses.
Speaking before flying to Asia, Mark Carney, for his part, did not directly mention Donald Trump’s change of heart, but declared that bilateral discussions had shown “progress (…) and we are willing to continue this momentum and build on this progress when the Americans are ready.”
75 million
According to Donald Trump, the Canadian authorities intend to “influence the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States and other courts”, before which the legality of the decrees of the American president that caused the customs increases are being questioned.
Produced by the province of Ontario, the advertising campaign was broadcast on several American television channels for an approximate amount of 75 million dollars.
It uses quotes from a 1987 speech by former Republican President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), in which he warned of the consequences of high tariffs for the US economy.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation accused the campaign of “distorting” the former president’s comments, which were used “selectively.” He said he was examining “legal options in this matter.”
In a speech Wednesday about his budget priorities, Mark Carney said Washington’s “fundamentally altered” trade policy required a review of Canada’s economic strategy.
Mark Carney met with President Trump at the White House in early October to try to move toward a resolution of the conflict, but did not obtain any public concessions.
Source: BFM TV
