President Trump says he is in no rush to restart US-Canada trade talks, accusing Ottawa of unfair treatment as tariff tensions continue…reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump has said he is in no hurry to restart trade negotiations with Canada, accusing Ottawa of treating the United States unfairly and saying any future agreement would require Canada to be “honest” with Washington.
Trump made the comments on Monday when reporters asked whether trade talks could resume before the US midterm elections. He gave no timetable for restarting negotiations and did not say whether discussions were taking place through other channels.
“I don’t know. Canada behaves very badly with the United States and I don’t know,” Trump said before boarding Marine One.
“We caught them in the act; they charged us a lot of tariffs that nobody knew about except me. And it will work out eventually, but I don’t know about it. I’m in no rush.”
Trump did not identify the specific Canadian tariffs he was referring to or provide figures to support his claims.
He also argued that the trading relationship between the two neighbouring countries had been heavily tilted against the United States.
“You know, Canada does all their business with us, we do very little business with them,” Trump said.
“And all we ask of one thing in Canada, they have to be honest. They are not honest with the United States; they’ve been ripping us off for years.”
The comments come after months of escalating tariff measures and stalled negotiations between Washington and Ottawa.
Despite the confrontation, a large proportion of Canadian exports to the United States continue to enter without tariffs under CUSMA. Canadian government figures put the share at about 85 per cent, although the overall trade relationship has been affected by sector-specific US duties and Canadian countermeasures.
Trade talks were suspended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in August after Canada said changes to US proposals had made a deal unacceptable. Carney said Ottawa had been seeking a fair agreement but would not accept a deal “at any price or on any deadline”.
The dispute subsequently intensified. The Trump administration imposed additional tariffs of up to 50 per cent on a range of Canadian products, including measures targeting Canadian vehicles and other goods. Washington has argued that the tariffs are intended to counter what it describes as discriminatory Canadian trade practices.
Canada has rejected that interpretation, saying its measures were responses to US tariffs and that its trade practices comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as CUSMA. Ottawa has also imposed counter-tariffs on selected US imports.
Despite the confrontation, a large proportion of Canadian exports to the United States continue to enter without tariffs under CUSMA. Canadian government figures put the share at about 85 per cent, although the overall trade relationship has been affected by sector-specific US duties and Canadian countermeasures.
The uncertainty is increasingly affecting Canadian businesses. Recent data showed Canada’s services sector contracted for a fourth consecutive month in September, with businesses citing tariff uncertainty and wider geopolitical tensions among the factors weighing on activity.
Trump’s latest comments therefore leave the future of the negotiations uncertain as both countries face the prospect of prolonged trade friction.
The USMCA, negotiated during Trump’s first presidency, is also approaching a crucial review period, adding pressure to resolve outstanding disputes over market access, tariffs and the treatment of key industries.
For now, however, Trump has signalled that Washington is prepared to wait.
He said he expected the dispute to be resolved eventually but offered no indication that a new round of formal negotiations was imminent. His comments also stopped short of ruling out talks before the midterm elections, leaving the timing of any return to the negotiating table open.
