Trump signals to Ford, LeBlanc he won’t budge on aluminum, steel tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump said he refuses to budge on aluminum and steel tariffs placed on Canada as his chief trade representative meets with Canadian counterparts for bilateral talks.

Source: Facebook

U.S. President Donald Trump said he refuses to budge on aluminum and steel tariffs placed on Canada as his chief trade representative meets with Canadian counterparts for bilateral talks.

Ahead of scheduled trade talks between Premier Doug Ford, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump says he will not “bend” over the issue.

Ford called the talks an “olive branch” from Washington, D.C. amid an escalating trade war. Ford was hopeful that the talks could lead to a strengthened U.S.-Canada trade relationship but said that the Canadian side won’t find him to be flexible.

“We’ve been ripped off for years, and we’re not going to be ripped off anymore. No, I’m not going to bend at all aluminum or steel or cars. We’re not going to bend,” said in the Oval Office Thursday. “We’ve been ripped off as a country for many, many years. We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need anything that they give.”

He repeated his stance that Canada “only works as a state” referring to his idea to incorporate the country into the U.S. and that he disagrees with the lines of where its border should be.

“If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it, between Canada and the U.S., just a straight artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago, many, many decades ago, and it makes no sense,” Trump said. “It’s so perfect as a great and cherished state, keeping O Canada the national anthem. I love it. I think it’s great. Keep it, but it will be for the state, one of our greatest states, maybe our greatest state.”

Following the discussion with Lutnick, Ford said the conversation was “very productive,” and he felt that both parties felt that the “temperature” of the trade war was being lowered. He would not answer whether his 25 per cent surcharge on Ontario energy to the U.S. would be reimposed.

Before the scheduled meeting with Ford and LeBlanc, Lutnick was on Bloomberg Television, where he blasted Canada for not doing what other nations have done in response to Trump’s concerns, reexamining trade relationships and preparing for a “fairer” deal for the U.S.

“You have some countries that actually thoughtfully examine how they do business with us,” Lutnick said. “And then you have people like the Canadians who are in elections. So you have no idea. You think it’s about a trade war. This is their way of getting election votes.”

Ford ran his most recent election on fighting back against Trump’s tariffs, supporting Ontario’s businesses from the impact of those tariffs and seeking a strengthened trade relationship with the U.S.

Looking ahead to trade talks Thursday, Lutnick re-affirmed Trump’s national security concerns, which he says are at the root of the aluminum and steel tariffs.

“I think the stakes today (at the talks), if you take a look at it from the big picture, is the United States said we need to have steel and aluminum domestically in America. In national security, you need metals to make bullets. You need metals to make munitions. You need medals to make everything,” he said. “Donald Trump is very focused on making sure the key ingredients that are necessary to defend America are made here in America and in these other countries. They just don’t pay attention.”

Lutnick added that one of Trump’s top priorities is manufacturing more steel and aluminum domestically. Lutnick also criticized Canada for imposing retaliatory tariffs when they rely so heavily on America for defence.

“We protect Canada. I think Canada’s got 60 planes. Oh yeah, they’re really going to protect themselves. They’re really the lowest investor in NATO. They totally rely on us, and yet they think they need to respond to steel and aluminum tariffs,” he said. “I mean, everybody is so used to picking off America, so used to it that they can’t even stop Donald Trump is here to say we need to be treated fairly, and we need to be treated fairly now.”

Ford also appeared on American media while in Washington before the meeting, hoping to make the case that increased trade with Canada would help America meet its goals.

“I just have to remind the American people, the President and Secretary Lutnick, we’re your largest customer,” he said. “There’s no one that buys more products off the United States than we do”

Ford said Trump’s tariffs are a tax on Americans and will hike inflation in the US and that America needs Canadian aluminum.

“You only produce 16% of your aluminum. We ship in over 60% so anything that has aluminum, you’re going to pay more. Anything that has steel, you’re going to pay more,” he said. “You’re bringing over to close to $10 billion of aluminum and over $6 billion of steel. And this is hurting the American people.”

Ford said Canada and the U.S. auto industry are interconnected and that “you can’t unscamble an egg,” you have to “make a larger omelette.” He instead advocated for a strengthened relationship.

“Let’s create an Am-Can Fortress rather than treating their most, closest allies the way we are being treated. Look at what China is doing. We have the high-grade nickel that you need. We have the uranium you can’t get anywhere else except Russia,” he said. “We have all the critical minerals in Ontario, more than anywhere in the world as China is cutting you off, we have it.”

Ford signalled that Canada and the U.S. should negotiate the USMCA trade agreement early to make an updated plan that works for all of North America rather than engage in a trade war.