US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Canada on Wednesday, describing it as one of the most difficult countries for Washington to negotiate with amid the ongoing trade dispute.
Speaking to political commentator Glenn Beck, Trump accused Canada of benefiting unfairly from its economic relationship with the United States for decades. He claimed Ottawa imposes excessively high tariffs and treats the US relationship as if Canada were an American state.
Trump pointed to an alleged annual US trade deficit of $60 billion with Canada and said Washington must take stronger action to change the situation. He also argued that the US could obtain Canadian resources from other sources, even if losing access to them would cause some inconvenience.
Trump said he had previously offered Canada what he considered a favorable agreement, but negotiations eventually collapsed.
The latest remarks come as trade tensions between the two countries have intensified. The US introduced 50% tariffs on several Canadian products on Aug. 22, with additional 50% duties on automobiles and steel planned for Jan. 1. Canada responded by announcing counter-tariffs of 15% to 50% on CAN$27.6 billion worth of US imports, beginning Sept. 8.