WASHINGTON — Before President Donald Trump sits down with a third-generation North Korean autocrat, he will face what may well turn out to be a tougher crowd — some of America’s oldest allies.
With his new tariffs increasing U.S. isolation, Trump heads to Canada on Friday for a meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations. The White House is expecting a chilly reception from Canada and West European countries, already frustrated over Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear agreement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel previewed the dynamics on Wednesday, telling the German parliament that “it is apparent that we have a serious problem with multilateral agreements here, and so there will be contentious discussions.”
Trump signaled a tough tone on Twitter Thursday, saying: “Getting ready to go to the G-7 in Canada to fight for our country on Trade (we have the worst trade deals ever made)”
Anticipating a tense two days in Quebec, Trump has complained about having to attend the summit, particularly since it comes just before his high-stakes meeting in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said two people with knowledge of his thinking. But the White House has signaled no change in plans.
“The president wants to go on the trip,” Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, said of the summit in Canada. “The president is at ease with all of these tough issues.
“There may be disagreements,” Kudlow added. “I regard this as much like a family quarrel.”
Trump also is set to hold a series of one-on-one meetings, including with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump is unlikely to back away from the nationalistic policies that have frustrated and unnerved allies but which he sees as key promises to his most loyal voters. He has highlighted his efforts on Twitter, writing Monday: “The U.S. has made such bad trade deals over so many years that we can only WIN!”
Kudlow said allies should understand that Trump “will do what is necessary to protect the U.S., its businesses and its workforce,” adding that Trump “has always said, and I agree, tariffs are a tool in that effort.”
Trump announced in March that he was imposing tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, but he temporarily granted a waiver to U.S allies like Canada, Mexico and the European Union, and also to China, as his administration said trade talks were continuing. Trump ended that temporary relief this month, seeking to pressure the other countries to cut new trade agreements with the U.S. Japan was never granted a waiver, despite Prime Mininster Shinzo Abe’s pleas.
Asked if the administration will respect decisions from the World Trade Organization on tariffs, Kudlow said that “international multilateral organizations are not going to determine American policy. I think the president’s made that very clear.”
