U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he was "in no rush" to restart trade talks with Canada, accusing Ottawa of "ripping off" the United States for years.
Trump made the remarks when reporters asked whether trade negotiations with Canada could resume before the U.S. midterm elections.
"I'm in no rush," Trump said, "Canada does all their business with us, we do very little business with them. And all we ask of one thing in Canada, they have to be honest. They are not honest with the United States. They've been ripping us off for years."
Trade negotiations between the two North American neighbors broke down in August this year. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney alleged that the U.S. introduced new conditions during the final stages of the talks, attempting to restrict Canada from reaching independent trade agreements with other countries.
The U.S., however, accused Ottawa of making last-minute demands for additional tariff exemptions. After that, both countries imposed further retaliatory tariffs. Most recently, on Sept 29, the U.S. implemented a sweeping import ban on nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars worth of Canadian goods, covering alcohol, dairy products, and motorcycles.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer previously noted that the United States continues to source essential commodities, such as oil, natural gas, and potash, from Canada, and that bilateral agricultural trade remains active. As a result, Washington does not feel pressured to quickly finalize a new trade agreement with Canada, Greer added.
Canada has expressed a willingness to return to the negotiating table, but insists that any future deal must be mutually beneficial and fully respect the sovereignty of both nations.
Trump says "in no rush" to resume trade talks with Canada
