Trump rips off G7 diplomatic veneer
Slams Canadian PM as ‘dishonest and weak’
QUEBEC CITY: President Donald Trump abruptly upended two days of global economic diplomacy late on Saturday, refusing to sign a joint statement with the United States’ allies, threatening to escalate his trade war on the country’s neighbours and deriding Canada’s prime minister as “very dishonest and weak”.
In a remarkable pair of acrimony-laced tweets from aboard Air Force One as he flew to a summit with North Korea’s leader, Mr Trump lashed out at Justin Trudeau, the prime minister who hosted the sevennation summit, accusing him of making false statements.
Literally moments after Mr Trudeau’s government released the joint statement, saying it had been agreed to by all seven countries, Mr Trump blew apart the veneer of cordiality that had been in place throughout the two days of meetings in a resort town on the banks of the St Lawrence River.
“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive tariffs to our US farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our US Reps not to endorse the communique as we look at tariffs on automobiles flooding the US market!” Mr Trump wrote.
A few hours earlier, Mr Trudeau had announced that the seven nations had reached broad agreements on a range of economic and foreign policy goals, but he acknowledged that deep disagreements remained between Mr Trump and the leaders of the other nations, especially on trade.
Mr Trudeau sought to play down personal clashes with Mr Trump as he wrapped up the summit, calling the meeting “very successful” and saying he leaves “inspired by the discussion.” But he also pledged to retaliate against the US tariffs on steel and aluminum products in defence of Canadian workers.
Mr Trump, who apparently saw Mr Trudeau’s news conference on television aboard Air Force One, was clearly enraged. “PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @g7 meetings,” Mr Trump said in a second tweet, “only to give a news conference after I left saying that, ‘US Tariffs were kind of insulting’ and he ‘will not be pushed around.’ Very dishonest & weak. Our tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!”
The tweets followed two days of tense and often confrontational closed-door discussions between Mr Trump and the leaders of the United States’ closest allies — France, England, Canada, Japan, Italy and Germany — in the hopes of resolving a brewing trade war among friends. Instead, the gathering apparently served to further inflame Mr Trump’s belief that the US is being treated unfairly by countries with whom prior presidents had long ago negotiated trade agreements for the flow of goods and services.
Earlier in the day, before Mr Trump left the summit, he brought up the dramatic prospect of completely eliminating tariffs on goods and services, even as he threatened to end all trade with them if they didn’t stop what he said were unfair trade practices. The other six leaders had been defiant in the face of Mr Trump’s threats. “I have made it very clear to the president that it is not something we relish doing, but it is something that we absolutely will do,” Mr Trudeau said. “As Canadians, we are polite, we’re reasonable, but also we will not be pushed around.”
Speaking to reporters at the end of a contentious meeting in a resort town outside of Quebec City, Mr Trump said that eliminating all trading barriers would be “the ultimate thing.” He railed about what
he called “ridiculous and unacceptable” tariffs on US goods and vowed to end them. “It’s going to stop,” he said, “or we’ll stop trading with them. And that’s a very profitable answer, if we have to do it.” He added, “We’re like the piggy bank that everybody’s robbing — and that ends.”
President Emmanuel Macron of France said the trade debates at the summit were “sometimes quite heated.” Asked who won the tug-of-war with Mr Trump, Mr Macron said: “There is no winner, there are only losers when you take that strategy.”
Theresa May, the British prime minister, blasted Mr Trump’s tariffs, saying that she had registered “our deep disappointment at the unjustified decision”.
The president’s public comments on trade on Saturday morning echoed the complaints he made directly to the leaders from Canada, Japan and Europe in private sessions. Mr Trump confronted several of the leaders individually, giving examples of how, in his view, each of their countries had mistreated the United States, whether it be through trade barriers or security commitments.
The president delivered a running monologue in one of the closed-door meetings, one source said. One minute, he slammed Germany for taking advantage of the United States by selling so many cars there. The next, he talked about how his grandfather was German and how much he loved Europe.
Several of the l eaders responded aggressively to Mr Trump’s demands, listing their own complaints about US tariffs and other trade measures, the official said. Several countries have said they will retaliate against the United States’ new steel and aluminum tariffs with increased tariffs of their own. “If they retaliate, they’re making a mistake,” Mr Trump said.