In a press conference mostly focused on reports that Russian intelligence may have compromising information about Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect also took aim at 鈥渄isaster鈥� trade deals.
In a question about his nominee for Secretary of State, Trump told reporters gathered in Washington, D.C., that he plans to get better trade deals in place.
鈥淥ur trade deals are a disaster,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e have hundreds of billions of dollars of losses on a yearly basis with China on trade and trade imbalance -- with Japan, with Mexico, with just about everybody.鈥�
Trump did not mention America鈥檚 biggest trading partner: Canada.
Conrad Black, a presidential biographer and Trump supporter, told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that he doesn鈥檛 believe Trump has any grievances against Canada.
鈥淗is problem鈥檚 with Mexico,鈥� Black said. 鈥淥f course there鈥檚 always some frictions with Canada but I don鈥檛 think there will be any more with this president than previous ones and we鈥檒l work them out.鈥�
Maryscott Greenwood, a Clinton supporter and expert in Canada-U.S. relations, told Power Play that she agrees with Black that 鈥渢he guns were not aimed at Canada鈥� when Trump spoke on trade.
鈥淲hat the president-elect wants to do is grow the economy and create lots more jobs in the United States,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n order to do that, exports really help. Well who鈥檚 our biggest export partner? It鈥檚 Canada. So literally millions of American jobs are dependent on our relationship with Canada 鈥� I think the president-elect and his team are beginning to understand that.鈥�
Greenwood praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his decision to to foreign affairs post, with the added responsibility of Canada-U.S. trade relations.
Black said he agrees that Freeland is a praiseworthy choice for the portfolio, and 鈥渧ery able鈥� at a time when there are some 鈥渆xtremely unimaginative foreign ministers.鈥�
