U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed on Sunday during a gathering in northern Michigan that a trade agreement with Canada will be reached "quickly," at a time when trade relations between the two countries have been under severe strain in recent months.
Trump said at a rally in Port Huron, located in the northern part of the state, where he came to support Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, "We will settle this matter quickly; they are ready to give us everything we want."
He again justified the tariffs imposed on Canadian products, accusing Canada once more of "never stopping stealing" from the United States.
Trade relations between Ottawa and Washington saw escalating tension in late August after negotiations between the two sides failed to avoid imposing additional duties worth $20 billion on Canadian goods such as cement, wine, and hockey sticks.
The Canadian government at the time responded by imposing customs duties on U.S. imports equal in value to the affected Canadian goods, which angered Trump, who in turn imposed new tariffs of up to 50% on certain products.
However, the White House announced on Friday that it would reassess the list of Canadian products subject to the 50% tariff, in response to a request from Maine Senator Susan Collins, who is engaged in a fiercely contested race against her Democratic opponent.
