Nicolai Haugsted
Trump has a brutal new description for Canada as tensions between the longtime allies continue to explode.
Relations between Washington and Ottawa have survived plenty of disagreements over the decades, but Donald Trump is currently making diplomacy between the neighbors sound considerably less neighborly.
Months of trade friction have already produced tariffs, retaliation and increasingly sharp rhetoric from both sides of the border. Fresh American restrictions on Canadian products have now added another layer to the dispute, with alcohol, certain dairy products and motorcycles among the goods affected.
Trump, however, appears to believe Canada deserves much of the blame.
Speaking from the Oval Office, the US president delivered a remarkable assessment of the longtime American ally while arguing that Ottawa has treated his country unfairly.
His choice of comparison made the message even harder to miss.
According to Trump, Washington manages to get along with China.
Canada, apparently, is another story.
Trump puts Canada near the bottom of his list
Questions about the possibility of another trade agreement prompted Trump to describe what he believes is happening behind the scenes.
“Well, they want to have a deal with us. They call us all the time. The problem is that they’ve treated the United States very unfairly. They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world,” he said according to The Irish Star.
Trump then offered China as evidence that his administration is perfectly capable of getting along with other countries.
“You know, we get along with China, we get along with people and we make good deals. But Canada has been, really, very difficult to deal with.”
Calling Canada one of the world’s worst countries represents particularly striking language for a nation that remains deeply connected to the United States economically and through NATO and other longstanding security arrangements.
Trump’s comments came shortly before the latest US import restrictions on Canadian products took effect on September 29.
Booze and motorcycles join the trade fight
Washington’s latest move goes beyond another percentage being slapped onto a tariff schedule.
Import bans now cover a range of Canadian alcoholic beverages, selected dairy-related products and certain motorcycles. The measures affect nearly $1 billion worth of imports, according to estimates cited by the Associated Press.
Trade tensions had already escalated considerably before the bans arrived.
US-Canada negotiations broke down in August, after which Washington imposed 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada subsequently responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own.
Trump’s administration has argued that the latest restrictions are a response to Canadian treatment of American commerce, particularly in sectors including dairy.
Ottawa sees the dispute rather differently and has maintained that it will defend Canadian workers and industries rather than simply concede to Washington’s demands.
Lake Ontario has already received the Trump treatment
Trade barriers have not been Trump’s only way of showing his displeasure with the country next door.
August brought one of the more unusual episodes in the deteriorating relationship when Trump signed an executive order directing US federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
Such an order changes terminology used by the US federal government rather than renaming the lake internationally, but the symbolism was hardly subtle.
Trump has repeatedly portrayed Canada as a trading partner that takes advantage of the United States, while Canadian leaders have increasingly looked toward reducing their country’s economic dependence on the American market.
Against that backdrop, describing Canada as one of the worst countries on Earth pushes the rhetoric considerably further.
Trump expects an apology
Despite all the hostility, Trump still believes a deal will eventually happen.
His prediction involves Canada coming back to Washington on rather humbling terms.
“They’re going to come in and they’re going to say, ‘Sir, we are sorry,'” Trump said.
Trump then repeated his criticism before predicting that the standoff would ultimately end at the negotiating table.
“They’ve treated the United States very, very badly. I think a deal will be made.”
Canadian officials have publicly rejected the idea that an apology is coming. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada would continue defending its economic interests as the new US restrictions took effect.
