Trump makes tariff case saying 'it's time to teach Canada you can't do this anymore'

Trump's trade czar says U.S. didn't make last-minute trade demands

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's trade czar went on a Canadian news network Wednesday to dispute Prime Minister Mark Carney's assertions about why negotiations between the two countries fell apart.

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBC News that the U.S. did not make last-minute demands to Canadians in the eleventh hour of negotiations on Friday.

New York Times and Bloomberg reported that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick inserted himself into negotiations and communicated with Carney multiple times before talks dissolved. Lutnick was also a key figure behind the delayed opening and changed agreement around the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan.

Trump on Tuesday was asked by CNN whether the U.S. made changes in the final hours of trade talks and responded, "That sounds like me."

Greer said that the president was just speaking "off the cuff."

Greer said the U.S. offered Canada the best deal possible but when they got down to talking about what the text would look like his Canadian colleagues had what he described as "concerns."

"It would have been a springboard for future progress for us, and now that's gone away," Greer said.

Tensions between the two countries have continued to worsen since trade negotiations crumbled. The Trump administration slammed Canada with 50 per cent tariffs on an array of goods the following day.

Carney on Saturday said an agreement became untenable, accusing U.S. negotiators of attempting to restrict Canada's ability to have other trade deals and restricting Canada's protections of language and culture.

Greer told CBC's Rosemary Barton that Carney's characterization around trade deal demands "goes far beyond anything we've discussed."

He said discussions were around building a strong North American market, where Canada would be expected to protect its borders by raising tariffs so its market wasn't flooded by goods from other countries.

Around Carney's claims over language, Greer said he and the president recognize the sensitivity of the French language in Canada.

While the U.S. negotiators had questions over the Online Streaming Act and a Quebec's Bill 109, around French discoverability on streaming sites, Greer said it was the "farthest thing from the redline."

"Our view is, there is no way we would let a good deal go by for something like this," Greer said.

The federal government unveiled its response to Trump's latest duties Tuesday, which includes upping tariffs on American steel and aluminum products from 25 to 50 per cent.