President Donald Trump, in his virtual address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, insisted that the United States does not need Canada's oil, gas, vehicles, or lumber, and did not waiver on his threat to enact stiff tariffs.
"Canada's been very tough to deal with over the years, and it's not fair that we should have a $200 billion or $250 billion deficit," he told the world leaders in his first address to them in his second term of office, reports CBC.
"We don't need them to make our cars, and they make a lot of them," he said. "We don't need their lumber because we have our own forests. We don't need their oil and gas. We have more than anybody."
Canada's political leaders and world markets are on edge over Trump's call for sweeping tariffs on all goods imported into the United States. And on Thursday, he said Canada's import policies have led to the trade goods deficit in the United States.
"We have a tremendous deficit with Canada," he said. "We're not going to have that anywhere. We can't do it."
Trump also suggested that Canada has profited unfairly in its dealings with the United States, and insisted that "we're going to be demanding respect from other nations."
The president's comments brought criticism from Canadian leaders, who are mixed on how to defend the northern nation against his threats of tariffs.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who met with Trump at his Florida home and has returned to Canada from a five-day trip to Washington, D.C., said she believes the Alberta energy sector is key to ongoing negotiations.
Cross-border trade in oil and gas, she said, will prove critical while "advancing North American energy dominance."
Smith has not wavered from her position that diplomacy is the best defense against Trump's threats, a statement from her office said.
"A U.S. tariff will hurt American and Canadian consumers, and we should be focused on developing our trade relationship through diplomacy, not threats," the statement read.
"In a negotiation, both sides will say all kinds of things and use different tactics. It's important when this happens to remain calm and diplomatic while continuing to carry out Alberta's and Canada's strategy. The Premier will continue to do so."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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