“If you want to be a numbskull like Justin Trudeau and say ‘Oh we’re going to do this’, [respond to U.S. tariffs by raising their own tariffs], then tariffs are going to go up,” Bessent said Thursday before the Economic Club of New York.
“But if you want to sit back, have a discussion with the Commerce Department, USTR, I am happy to have a discussion with our foreign counterparts,” the Treasury Secretary added.
Bessent was responding to remarks Trudeau made that same day, in which the prime minister revealed that Canada will be in a trade war with the U.S. while the country continues corresponding with President Donald Trump’s administration about tariffs.
“I can confirm that we will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday.
Canada recently imposed 25 percent tariffs on C$30 billion of U.S. imports, with Trudeau saying the taxes will not be lifted until the Trump administration ends its measures on trade.
Trump, who says Canada is not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants across the border into the United States, had a nearly hour-long conversation with Trudeau on Wednesday, according to a report by Reuters.
“It was a colorful call. It was also a very substantive call,” Trudeau said. “We are trying to make sure that these tariffs don’t overly harm, certainly in the short term, certain sectors.”
Trudeau, who is set to soon step down as Prime Minister of Canada, was seen crying at a press conference on Thursday, after reports of a profanity-laden phone call with President Trump.
“I’ve made sure that every single day in this office I put Canadians first, that I have people’s backs, and that’s why I’m here to tell you all that we got you. Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down,” Trudeau said with tears in his eyes.
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As Breitbart News reported, Bessent elaborated on the intellectual foundation of President Trump’s economic vision, which he says includes a comprehensive strategy designed to restore American prosperity and reclaim economic sovereignty.
Three fundamental priorities at the heart of President Trump’s strategy, Bessent said, are revitalizing the private sector, ensuring economic security as a component of national security, and reorienting global trade relationships to put American workers first.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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