Trump’s tariff leaves no room for the country for exemptions, the United States tells Canada

Senior representatives in the United States told a Canadian delegation on Thursday that there is no way in Canada, or any other country in President Trump’s poetry, which could avoid a new round of customs tariffs on April 2, according to two people with direct knowledge of their conversation.

Any negotiations to remove some customs tariffs or even avoid a more comprehensive commercial deal that will come after that date, US officials told their Canadian counterparts at a meeting in Washington, DC, and Mr. Trump has ordered, through an executive order, to conduct an in -depth trade exam between the United States between the United States.

The United States was represented at the meeting by Trade Minister Howard Lottenic and American Trade Representative Jameson Jarir. Canada, Finance Minister Dominic Lieblank, Minister of Industry, Francois Philippe Champagne, Prime Minister of Ontario Doug Ford and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, represented Kirsten Hellman.

Canadian officials left the meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, with a more clear feeling – but not necessarily more optimistic – what awaits us, according to the second of them to know directly what happened, and who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to accommodate the press.

While Trump officials made clear their pledge to mutual definitions, Mr. Trump showed a repeated tendency to pledge to pressure the customs tariff only to make a decision at the last minute to retreat or grant a return.

The meeting was an attempt to pump a quieter approach in the relationship between the two countries, even as Mr. Trump continued on Thursday to settle threats against Canada.

Canadian officials said that Mr. Lootnick and Mr. Jarir conveyed to them that the Trump administration is highly committed to the tariff as a commercial policy, and the use of customs tariffs to redefine the United States’ relationship with the world. They were told on April 2, it would be a big step in creating this new doctrine.

Last month, Mr. Trump directed his advisers to reach new tariff levels taking into account a set of commercial barriers and other economic methods adopted by commercial partners in America. This not only includes the definitions that other countries receive on American products, but also include the benefits that their industries, their exchange rates and other measures that the president sees are unfair.

Mr. Trump said he needs to take action even outside the “unfair” relations of America and prevent other countries from benefiting from the United States in trade. But he made it clear that his final goal is to force companies to re -manufacture them to the United States.

Canadian officials have left the impression that there is preparedness by the United States to clean the negative response that the financial markets have already had to target the President on Canada, Mexico and China.

The American side explained that there is a few Canada or any other country that can do to avoid the coming customs tariffs on April 2. The administration was planning to move forward at the forefront, and then, consider individual exemptions, changes or broader negotiations on customs tariffs with specific countries, depending on market reactions.

After the threats that are ever taken with expanded tariffs, the United States now applies 25 percent of the additional and aluminum steel fees as well as 25 percent to goods that do not correspond to the current trade agreement between the two countries. .

Economists believe that the customs tariff that has been imposed so far, Canada’s revenge against American imports, and the general atmosphere of volatility and uncertainty could turn Canada to the recession this year.

A Trump administration official said that at the meeting on Thursday, Mr. Lootnick and Mr. Jarir highlighted the Trump administration’s commitment to follow -up fair trade, and that both countries have recognized the strong and date of their relationship.

The US official said that Mr. Lootnick is meeting with many foreign officials to ensure hearing and disposing of Mr. Trump’s message. The official added that the Trump administration aims to help us with prosperity in the global market by building balanced relations, and eliminating the trade deficit and foreign restrictions in trade.

They said that Canadian officials are expected to return to Washington next week to speak with Mr. Jarir, and they start focusing on more granular details about dealing with two main concerns of the United States that were raised in Meting on Thursday: the digital services tax applied by Canada, the issue of shares and additional fees to dairy products.

Canada imposes a 3 % tax on companies ’revenue online, including social media companies, online markets and online ads-industries dominated by American companies. The tax has been a major complaint in the commercial relationship in the United States and Canada since the Biden administration.

On dairy, Canada and the United States apply stakes and other measures that limit each other’s imports after reaching a certain extent of imports. Mr. Trump took the goal of this system, which was approved in 2018 as part of the reinstalization of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the Al -Khalaf Trade deal, the United States, Mexico and Cananga Agreement.

The officials also said that there is a broader feeling that the tone of the talks could improve with the departure of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was replaced on Friday by Mark Carne. Mr. Trump and Mr. Trudeau was fraught with personal chemistry dating back to Mr. Trump’s first state.

“The temperature has decreased,” Mr. Ford told the media while leaving the meeting on Thursday.

“We leave Washington, and I think it is better equipped to ensure that we can defend Canadian interests,” added Mr. Champagne, Minister of Industry.

Anna Swanson He contributed to the reports from Washington.