President Donald Trump said Thursday that he had not “spoken in Canada” as the deadline approach for the taxation of his customs duties.
He said he had “called”, suggesting that Prime Minister Mark Carney would have communicated with him a few hours before the taxation of customs duties of 35 % in Canada. The Canadian press contacted Mr. Carney’s office for confirmation, but has not yet received an answer.
Donald Trump tempered the expectations of an agreement with Canada this week in a publication on social networks early Thursday morning. He explained that it would be very difficult to conclude an agreement with Canada after the announcement on Wednesday by Mr. Carney of Ottawa’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
Donald Trump explained to journalists in the White House on Thursday that he “did not like this”, but that it was “not a break of agree”.
Asked about the delay in Canadian negotiations, Trump said that “they have to pay a fair rate.” The president also distorted agricultural customs duties, complained about Canadian military spending and said Canada has been dealing with the United States for years.
“We love Canada, I love Canada. I have so many friends in Canada, but they were very poorly directed, said Donald Trump. They were very, very poorly directed, and all we want is equity for our country. ”
Commerce secretary Howard Lunick told Fox Business Network that Mark Carney’s decision on Palestine was “insensitive” and that he did not see the president “giving up”. He added that Canada had not “solved the problem of dairy products” and stressed the retaliatory customs duties of Ottawa which remain in force.
If Mark Carney calls Donald Trump and “Use of charm”, removes retaliatory customs duties and “puts an end to his nonsense”, the president could “give up a little,” added Lunick.
Donald Trump has already sent a letter to Prime Minister Carney threatening to impose customs duties of 35 % if Canada did not conclude a trade agreement by Friday. The White House indicated that these rights would not apply to goods in accordance with the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement, better known as ACEUM.
Donald Trump announced a 90 -day extension of commercial negotiations with Mexico on Thursday, after a telephone interview with President Claudia Sheinbaum. He explained that the complexity of an agreement with Mexico was somewhat different from that of other countries, due to the problems and assets of the border.
“In addition, Mexico has agreed to immediately lift its numerous non -tariff commercial barriers,” said Donald Trump. We will discuss with Mexico in the next 90 days to sign a trade agreement in this period, or even later. ”
Mexico already recognizes the Palestinian state.
The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt did not exclude new extensions and said there was still time for countries to negotiate before the midnight deadline.
“I know that other foreign leaders around the world have stretched out,” she said.
While Donald Trump continued to assert on social networks that customs duties “made America great and rich again”, the president’s main tool to redirect world trade was the subject of strong questions from federal appeal judges on Thursday morning.
The lawyer for the Trump administration argued before the United States Federal Court of Appeal that the president’s powers are still subject to a control system and that he has the power to invoke a national security law to impose customs duties, despite the absence of the term “customs duties” in the 1977 law on international economic emergency powers.
This law, generally designated by the acronym IEPA, gives the American president the power to control economic transactions after the statement of the state of emergency. No previous president had ever used it to impose customs duties, and the American Constitution reserves the power to apply them.
Thursday, the members of the panel of 11 judges repeatedly questioned the justifications put forward by the Trump administration to use the IEEPA in order to implement the customs duties on the “Liberation Day” and the Fentanyl.
“If the president claims that there is a problem with our military preparation and that he imposes a 20 % tax on coffee, that does not necessarily seem to solve the problem,” said chief judge Kimberly Moore.
Thomas Berry, of the Cato Institute, based in Washington, said in a press release that “given the content and questions raised by the arguments, it seems that the protesters have the best chance of winning”.
The Cato Institute, which opposes the customs duties of the IEEPA, presented at the hearing a memory of Amicus Curiae, a legal request for a group which is not a party to action.
No decision was made Thursday and Karoline Leavitt said he would expect the case to be brought before the Supreme Court.
– According to information from the Associated Press
