'Canada must wait,' Trump tweeted. 'Their tariffs and trade barriers are far too high. Will tax cars if we can't make a deal!'
President Donald Trump said Friday that a trade deal with Mexico is "coming along nicely." But he threatened Canada with auto tariffs if the U.S. and Canada can't forge a deal.
Trump appeared to be referring to efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in his tweet from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Trump said any deal with Mexico must take care of American autoworkers and farmers, but he praised the new president of Mexico, calling him "an absolute gentleman." His message to Canada was far less friendly.
"Canada must wait," Trump tweeted. "Their Tariffs and Trade Barriers are far too high. Will tax cars if we can't make a deal!"
Deal with Mexico is coming along nicely. Autoworkers and farmers must be taken care of or there will be no deal. New President of Mexico has been an absolute gentleman. Canada must wait. Their Tariffs and Trade Barriers are far too high. Will tax cars if we can’t make a deal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)Canada responded with a statement Friday night, saying: "Our focus is unchanged. We'll keep standing up for Canadian interests as we work toward a modernized trilateral NAFTA agreement."
Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canada's foreign minister, added: "We're glad Mexico and the U.S. continue to work out their bilateral issues. It's the only way we'll get to a deal."
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