United States President Donald Trump has accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of making “false statements” and said that Washington will not endorse a G7 communique, the media reported.
“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our US farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our US Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at tariffs on automobiles flooding the US Market!,” the President tweeted on Saturday.
In a second tweet, Mr. Trump said: “PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, ‘US Tariffs were kind of insulting’ and he ‘will not be pushed around’ Very dishonest and weak. Our tariffs are in response to his of 270 per cent on dairy!”
On June 1, the US imposed a 25 per cent tariff for steel and 10 per cent for aluminium on imports from the European Union (EU), Canada, and Mexico. Mr. Trump said the move would protect domestic producers that were vital to US security.
EU’s tit-for-tat
The EU then announced tariffs on US goods ranging from Harley-Davidson motorcycles to bourbon. Canada and Mexico are also taking action in retaliation.
Shortly after Mr. Trudeau said that he was “happy to announce that we have released a joint communique by all seven countries” indicating that the US was also included, Mr. Trump announced that Washington would reverse its decision and not sign the statement.
The group of seven nations that make up the G7 are Canada, France, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and Italy.
The G7 communique references a number of shared priorities, including on trade, economic growth, national security and sustainability.
It also covered other issues including relations with Russia.
Aimed at a long-time US ally
Mr. Trump’s tweets taking aim at the leader of a country that has long been a US ally came after the President left the G7 summit in Canada to travel to Singapore ahead of a planned diplomatic meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, CNN reported.
Mr. Trudeau said on Saturday during a news conference that Canada will “move forward with retaliatory measures” on July 1 in response to the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico.
“I have made it very clear to the President that it is not something we relish doing, but it something that we absolutely will do,” Mr. Trudeau said.
“Canadians, we’re polite, we’re reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around.”
Mr. Trump addressed the subject of international trade during an impromptu news conference at the summit on Saturday, saying that he does not want to see other countries take advantage of the US over trade.
‘Trudeau said nothing wrong’
Mr. Trudeau’s office responded to Mr. Trump’s tweets accusing the Canadian leader of “false statements” on Saturday, saying that the Prime Minister said nothing during the G7 summit that he had not said previously.
“We are focused on everything we accomplished here at the #G7 summit. The Prime Minister said nothing he hasn’t said before — both in public, and in private conversations with the President,” the office added.
The two-day G7 summit that began on Friday, was held in La Malbaie, Quebec province.
