Trump may meet Canada and Mexico ‘in the middle’, says US commerce chief
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said President Donald Trump will “possibly” announce a deal to reduce tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Wednesday.
“Canadians and Mexicans are on the phone all day today, trying to prove they will do better,” Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business Network.
But Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told the BBC News Night that her office has not yet contacted the program.
Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory import taxes on the United States after Washington imposed a 25% tariff on two neighbors.
Lutnick made it clear that he hopes U.S. tariffs can be lowered rather than suspended.
“I think (Trump) will figure it out, ‘You do more things, I’ll meet you somehow.” We might announce tomorrow. ”
Jolly said U.S. officials “can say a lot,” but “the only person who really makes the decision is President Trump.”
According to sources, Lutnick did call on Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford, who told the Globe and the Post that he had issued warnings about Canadian retaliation, which was seen as a personal attack on Trump.
Earlier Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Trump’s propaganda tariffs on his country, calling it “a very stupid thing” and vowed to engage in a “ruthless battle” to protect its economy.
Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports and warned that the trade war would be expensive for both countries.
But Trump pushed a further push in an article on his Truth Social Platform: “Please explain to Canada’s Governor Trudeau that our reciprocity tariffs will increase immediately when he issues retaliatory tariffs on the United States!”
Trudeau accuses the U.S. president of planning for “a complete collapse of the Canadian economy because it will make it easier for us to annex us.”
“This will never happen. We will never be the 51st state,” he told reporters.
Washington also intensified its trade war with Beijing on Tuesday, a new 10% tax on Chinese imports, which increased Trump’s first term and existing taxes announced last month.
“China will fight for any trade war pain,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
