Trump recalls trade clash with Trudeau

But U.S. government statistics seem to support PM’s view about which side has a deficit

WASHINGTON— U.S. President Donald Trump regaled a rally of supporters Friday night with a story about a disagreement with Canada’s prime minister, then sprinkled his tale with some questionable statistics about international trade.

Trump told a partisan crowd in Florida that he and Justin Trudeau had a debate about trade balances.

“I like the prime minister very much. Prime Minister Trudeau. Nice guy. Good guy. No, I like him. But we had a meeting . . . He said, ‘No, no, you have a trade surplus.’ I said, ‘No we don’t.’ He said, ‘No, no you have a trade surplus,’ ” Trump told the Florida crowd.

“(Trudeau) said, ‘I’m telling you that Canada has a deficit with the United States.’ I told my people — in front of a lot of people — I said, ‘Go out and check.’ ”

He said his staff found Trudeau left out some key details, pertaining to trade in goods.

“(Trudeau) was right. Except he forgot two categories: Lumber timber; and energy,” Trump said. “Other than that, he was right. When you add them all together, we actually have a $17-billion deficit with Canada.”

That’s not what his own government’s stats say.

Statistics from the website of the office of the U.S. Trade Representative — the very office handling NAFTA negotiations — paint a portrait opposite to Trump’s.

It says, of last year’s trade balance: “The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Canada was $12.5 billion (U.S.) in 2016.”