Trump says Canada and Mexico will escape new tariffs only after NAFTA concessions

President Trump on Monday further expanded his self-initiated trade war, telling Canada and Mexico that he would consider lifting possible tariffs on steel and aluminum only if they concede to White House demands for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Like almost every broadside over trade war so far, his latest message was sent in a Twitter post with little explanation. He also demanded that Mexico do more to prevent drugs from entering the United States as one of the conditions for lifting upcoming steel and aluminum tariffs announced last week.

Speaking later at the White House, Trump vowed he was not bluffing.

“No, we’re not backing down,” Trump told reporters. “We had a very bad deal with Mexico, we had a very bad deal with Canada. It’s called NAFTA.”

The tariffs are expected to hit Canada particularly hard. It is the top exporter to U.S. markets of both steel and aluminum. Canada is also the biggest importer of U.S. steel and aluminum.

The three NAFTA partners — Canada, Mexico and the United States — have been locked in talks aimed at possibly revamping the trade deal, but no clear framework has emerged. The latest round of negotiations is expected to wrap up Monday in Mexico City. - More, washingtonpost

Trump says Canada and Mexico will escape new tariffs only after NAFTA concessions

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