Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States may not reach a negotiated trade deal with Canada, suggesting that the administration could set a tariff rate unilaterally. According to news agency Reuters, the US President just before leaving for a trip to Scotland said, “We haven’t really had a lot of luck with Canada. I think Canada could be one where there’s just a tariff, not really a negotiation.”
Both the nations are trying to work out a trade deal before August 1, when Washington is threatening to impose 35% tariffs on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Carney’s office, however, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The Canadian officials have increasing made it clear that the chances of a deal by August 1 are unlikely.
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal cabinet minister in charge of U.S.-Canada trade, told reporters in Washington on Thursday after two days of talks that “we’ve made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us.”
LeBlanc said Canada would take the time necessary to get the best deal possible.
Last week, Carney indicated that Canada might not be able to persuade the United States to lift all its sanctions.
