Do you trust Trump? Trudeau offers perfectly Canadian answer
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pouring cold water on the idea of any animosity between himself and U.S. President Donald Trump following months of heated trade negotiations.
In an exclusive interview published Tuesday with CNN’s Poppy Harlow, the prime minister said Canada’s friendship with the U.S. is “far deeper” than any two leaders can personally have.
“I have a good, constructive working relationship with the president, which is what Canadians expect me to have, but the connections between Canada and the U.S. run so deep and so broad that the relationship is going to be fine regardless of who’s at the top,” Trudeau said.
When asked whether he fully trusts Trump to uphold his promises, the prime minister appeared reluctant to answer directly.
“I recognize that every leader has a job of sticking up for their own country and they will do it in their own ways and I respect the fact that people have different approaches to it,” the prime minister said. “My approach is to trust Canadians and deal in a way that is direct with other leaders.”
The trouble with NAFTA
Tensions boiled over between the two leaders at the end of the G7 summit this June in Charlevoix, Que. That’s when Trudeau told reporters Canadians “will not be pushed around” by the U.S. after the Trump administration slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Trudeau’s comments caught the ire of Trump, who responded by calling the prime minister “very dishonest and weak.” Trump also pulled the U.S. out of a joint declaration that was signed by all seven countries at the summit.
Since the controversy, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have all agreed to terms on a new, modernized free trade agreement, which is now called the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).
When Trump was asked last month about his relationship with Trudeau, he told reporters the prime minister is a “good person who is doing a good job” and any tensions were not personal.
“The only problem with Justin is that he loves his people and he’s fighting hard for his people,” Trump said. “We’ve always had, actually, a very good relationship. It got a little bit testy in the last couple of months but that was over this agreement and I understand that.”
Tussle over tariffs
Trudeau also referred to U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum as a “continued frustration,” even after the U.S. and Canada recently agreed to the USMCA. The prime minister told CNN consumers on both sides of the border are paying more for goods because of the tariffs.
“We would much rather have genuine free trade with the United States so we’re going to continue to work, as soon as we can, to lift those tariffs,” Trudeau said.
However, the prime minister refused to say whether Canada would hold off on signing the new trade deal until U.S. tariffs were removed.
“We’re not at the point of saying we wouldn’t sign if it wasn’t lifted, although we’re trying to make that case.”
When pressed on whether this was his moment of true leverage, Trudeau kept his cards close to his chest.
“One of the things that served me very, very well through the 13 months of negotiations over the new NAFTA was that I don’t negotiate in public. And we have strong negotiations in private and we get to the right outcome for everyone.”
The prime minister claimed that during the G7 summit in Italy a year and a half ago, Trump had a different view of tariffs on Canada.
“He agreed with me that it would be insulting to include Canada on a list of national security concerns on imported steel,” Trudeau told Harlow. “Our steel is in American light armour vehicles, our aluminum is in your fighter jets, we have been close partners for a long time.”
The prime minister also acknowledged that these tariffs are “hurting” U.S. businesses.
“American workers are losing their jobs because of these steel and aluminum tariffs,” Trudeau said.
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have until the end of this month to ratify the new trade agreement if leaders wish to complete the deal with those who have been at the negotiating table. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s term is set to end when he leaves office on Dec. 1, 2018.
