U.S. President Donald Trump is taking aim at Canada鈥檚 dairy industry once again, saying that the U.S. can鈥檛 let Ottawa 鈥渢ake advantage鈥� of the two countries鈥� trade relationship.
鈥淐anada鈥hat they鈥檝e done to our dairy farm workers, it鈥檚 a disgrace,鈥� Trump told reporters at the Oval Office Thursday as he announced that his administration will investigate steel imports as part of his 鈥淏uy American-Hire American鈥� plan.
Trump also singled out 鈥渓umber, timber and energy鈥� as issues in the Canada-U.S. trade partnership, although he did not get into specifics.
He reiterated his belief that the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he has vowed to renegotiate, has been hurting the U.S. economy.
鈥淭he fact is, NAFTA, whether it鈥檚 Mexico or Canada, is a disaster for our country,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 let Canada or anybody else take advantage and do what they did to our workers and to our farmers.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to get to the negotiating table with Canada very, very quickly,鈥� he added.
鈥淭his is another NAFTA disaster and we鈥檙e not going to let it continue onward.鈥�
Earlier this week, Trump called out Canada鈥檚 dairy supply management system, saying it hurts Wisconsin farmers.
Under the decades-old system, the Canadian dairy sector negotiates the price of milk and tweaks production to meet demand. Canada also imposes import tariffs on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese.
In response to Trump鈥檚 latest comments on trade with Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the federal government 鈥渨ill always defend Canada鈥檚 interests.鈥�
鈥淐anada strongly believes in a rules-based system of trade, and therefore always abides by and upholds the rules that govern trade,鈥� Freeland said in a statement.
鈥淒airy trade between Canada and the U.S. massively favours the U.S., by a ratio of five to one. Canada is the second-largest export market for U.S. dairy products, surpassed only by Mexico,鈥� she said.
鈥淲ith respect to softwood lumber, our producers and workers have never been found in the wrong,鈥� Freeland added. 鈥淭he United States needs Canadian lumber. A protracted dispute will only drive up the cost of wood and homes for U.S. consumers.鈥�
Freeland also said that Canada provides the U.S. with 43 per cent of its imported crude oil, and that the two countries鈥� energy relationship 鈥渃reates tens of thousands of jobs鈥� on both sides of the border.
鈥淎ny increase of trade barriers between our countries would significantly impact jobs in the United States, as well as in Canada,鈥� she said.
Earlier Thursday, Freeland spoke at an event in Toronto where she said that, broadly, she feels 鈥渧ery good鈥� about the U.S.-Canada relationship.
She said the Canadian government has established crucial contacts with senior people in the Trump administration and has 鈥渧ery strong lines of communication鈥� with the White House.
鈥淚 do feel our country right now鈥eally gets that this is a critical moment,鈥� Freeland said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new U.S. administration with some openly protectionist views.鈥�
But, she said she feels that Ottawa has a 鈥渟trong Team Canada approach鈥� to the situation and 鈥渢hat is serving us well.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press
