US President: Very Close to Signing Trade Deal with Canada

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday about signing a “very good” trade deal with Canada soon, noting that he had held constructive phone conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently on the matter. Trump told reporters, “We now have a clear vision of a very good agreement with Canada, and it will be a great deal for both sides.” He added, “We have been losing money in our dealings with Canada for a very long time, and now we are very close to concluding a fair agreement with them.” He pointed out that he had held several phone calls with the Canadian prime minister in recent days aimed at reaching a bilateral deal, noting that if signed, the agreement would be “great” for American farmers, the United States, and Canada as well. Trump affirmed that the deal would ensure that American farmers would not pay any tariffs on their goods entering Canada. The United States had imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian imports in late August, covering $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, following the collapse of trade talks between the two countries. In response, Canada retaliated with counter-tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth of American products, escalating the trade war between the two nations.