President Trump on Monday took aim at China and Canada over trade, saying both nations have “trade barriers” that are “not acceptable.”
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The president targeted China for their taxes on American soybeans and also hit Canada for “barriers” on agriculture products from the U.S.
“China already charges a tax of 16% on soybeans. Canada has all sorts of trade barriers on our Agricultural products. Not acceptable!” the president wrote on Twitter. “The U.S. has made such bad trade deals over so many years that we can only WIN!”
The tweets from Trump come after the administration last week announced it would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union, ending temporary exemptions from the tariffs previously given to the major trade allies.
The decision has garnered criticism from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who last week slammed the Trump administration’s decision to enact the levies, calling them an “affront” to the alliance between Canada and the U.S, pointing specifically to Canadian soldiers who have “fought and died” alongside American soldiers.
“Let me be clear: These tariffs are totally unacceptable,” the prime minister said Thursday.
“Canadians have served alongside Americans in two world wars and in Korea. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, we have fought and died together.”
But Larry Kudlow, the president’s top economic advisor, dismissed Trudeau’s criticisms during a Sunday show interview.
“To say that this is an attack on Canada is not right,” Kudlow said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I think he’s overreacting. I don’t want to get into the middle of that.”
The president has repeatedly railed against China on trade during his presidential campaign and earlier this year exchanged multibillion-dollar tariff threats with the country.
Canada on Friday joined the European Union in filing a case against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization, calling the tariffs “illegal” and saying they undermine “the integrity of the global trading system.”