(Xinhua)09:04, July 09, 2020
OTTAWA, July 8 (Xinhua) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that he is concerned about reports that the United States is considering reimposing tariffs on Canadian aluminum and possibly steel.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau said he looks forward to congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump on the coming into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), also known as CUSMA in Canada.
The agreement officially came into force on July 1, replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Trudeau did not travel to Washington Wednesday to attend a meeting with Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador marking the launch of the new North American trade deal.
Trudeau stays in Ottawa this week for scheduled cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of Parliament, according to the Canadian Prime Ministers Office.
Trudeau told reporters that its really important that at a time of economic strain and stress, Canada continues to have access to the worlds most important market and this is good for Canadian workers and Canadian jobs right across the country.
At the same time, we are concerned about the threat of extra tariffs on aluminum and possibly steel. This is something that again is a little difficult to understand because the United States relies heavily on imports of Canadian aluminum, in particular, for their domestic manufacturing capacity, he said.
Trudeau said the United States doesnt produce nearly enough aluminum to be able to cover its needs.
Canadian officials are continuing to push very hard on encouraging the United States not to move forward on tariffs that dont have any justification and will have a negative impact, Trudeau added.