Trump gets rebuke from G7 ministers

Group of Seven nations moved closer to a trade war with the United States on Saturday, as six members of the exclusive club singled out their American partner over tariffs they warn have undermined open trade and shaken confidence in the global economy.

The group’s highly unusual public rebuke of one of its own members called out the U.S. for hefty steel and aluminum tariffs the Trump administration imposed in recent days on its G7 friends.

The tariffs are driving a wedge in the G7 — and laying the groundwork for a potential clash among its leaders next week at a summit in Quebec’s Charlevoix region.

G7 finance ministers and central bankers crafted a message to Washington at the end of a three-day meeting in Whistler, B.C., meant to explore economic issues ahead of the leaders’ summit.

In the joint “chair’s summary,” they asked their counterpart, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to “communicate their unanimous concern and disappointment” to his boss, President Donald Trump.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who chaired the meetings, said though the group found common ground on many subjects, they are now forced to do whatever they can to convince Trump to change course. “We are concerned that these actions are actually not conducive to helping our economy — they actually are destructive,” Morneau said.