US President Donald Trump on Saturday withdrew his endorsement of a joint statement at the end of a G7 summit in Canada in a row over trade as he accused the summit’s chairman and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of dishonesty.
“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our US farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our US Reps not to endorse the Communique,” Trump said in a tweet sent from on board Air Force One.
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The US president then had angry words for Trudeau, saying the Canadian prime minister had “acted so meek and mild” in their joint discussions only to later pledge in a press conference that he would not be pushed around.
“PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, ‘US Tariffs were kind of insulting’ and he ‘will not be pushed around,'” Trump tweeted while en route to Singapore for an upcoming meeting with the top leader of the North Korea Kim Jong Un.
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“Very dishonest & weak,” Trump said, adding that recently imposed US tariffs on imports of Canadian steel and aluminium were in response to similar measures imposed on American dairy products by Canada.
Trump also tweeted that US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, including from Canada, were in response to Canada’s tariffs on American dairy products.
In response to Trump’s tweets, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’ s Office said that Trudeau has been consistent with Trump both in public and private conversations.
“We are focused on everything we accomplished here at the summit. The Prime Minister said nothing he hasn’t said before — both in public, and in private conversations with the President,” Trudeau’s Office said in a statement released on Twitter.
Trudeau announced hours earlier that all G7 members had endorsed the joint communique, despite the recent trade tensions between the US and other G7 allies.
The G7 summit came after the Trump administration decided last week to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union (EU), Canada and Mexico, which has drawn strong opposition from the domestic business community and quick retaliation from major US trading partners.
(With agency inputs)
