Donald Trump: ‘Canada must wait’ on trade deal, but Mexican one is coming nicely

Canada would have to wait on a trade deal due to “tariffs and trade barriers” but the U.S. is making progress with Mexico, President Donald Trump tweeted Friday night.

“Deal with Mexico is coming along nicely. Autoworkers and farmers must be taken care of or there will be no deal. New President of Mexico has been an absolute gentleman,” read the tweet.

Trump appeared to be referring to efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in his tweet from his golf club in Bedminster, N.J.

He added that any deal with Mexico must take care of American autoworkers and farmers, but he praised the new Mexican president, calling him “an absolute gentleman.”

3:23 Canada warns the U.S. it will strike back if it imposes tariffs on the Canadian auto industry

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• White House says no timetable for how long tariffs on Canada, Mexico will be in place
• ‘We’ve been very nice to Canada’: White House reacts to retaliatory tariffs
• Canada ready to roll on retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products
• Canada joins allies in ‘retaliatory’ measures against U.S. tariffs
• Canada slaps tariffs up to 25 per cent on American goods
• Canada responds to ‘illegal’ U.S. tariffs with duties on American goods
• Morneau says U.S. tariffs not helpful, defends Canada’s tariffs
• Bill Morneau says Canada ‘stands behind’ businesses impacted by tariffs

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“Canada must wait. Their Tariffs and Trade Barriers are far too high. Will tax cars if we can’t make a deal!” the president continued, likely referencing the trade spat between Canada and the U.S. that resulted in new tariffs being placed on American imports to the Great White North in July.

Trump went on to warn that he would tax Canadian auto exports if Washington and Ottawa could not arrive at a deal.

The Trump administration angered the Canadian government after its decision to place tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel exports earlier this year, despite protests from both within the GOP and among Democrats.

In response, Canadian officials announced “dollar for dollar” retaliatory tariffs, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called them at the time, to the tune of over C$16 billion in U.S. imports.

• With files from the Associated Press.