WASHINGTON – The G7 summit ended in farce and a renewed threat of globaltrade war on Saturday as US President Donald Trump abruptly rejected thetext of a consensus statement and bitterly insulted the Canadian host.
Just minutes after a joint communique that had been approved by the leadersof the Group of Seven allies was published in Canada’s summit host cityQuebec, Trump launched a Twitter broadside from aboard Air Force One.
The US leader left the meeting early en route for Singapore and a historicnuclear summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, only to take exception tocomments made by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a newsconference.
“Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the factthat Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our US farmers, workers andcompanies, I have instructed our US Reps not to endorse the Communique aswe look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the US Market!” Trump tweeted.
“PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetingsonly to give a news conference after I left saying that … he ‘will not bepushed around.’ Very dishonest & weak.”
*Pushed around*
Earlier, Trudeau had told reporters that Trump’s decision to invokenational security to justify US tariffs steel and aluminum imports was”kind of insulting” to Canadian veterans who had stood by their US alliesin conflicts dating back to World War I.
“Canadians are polite and reasonable but we will also not be pushedaround,” he said.
Trudeau said he had told Trump “it would be with regret but it would bewith absolute clarity and firmness that we move forward with retaliatorymeasures on July 1, applying equivalent tariffs to the ones that theAmericans have unjustly applied to us.”
After Trump’s angry tweets, Trudeau’s office issued a brief response: “Weare focused on everything we accomplished here at the G7 summit. The PrimeMinister said nothing he hasn’t said before — both in public, and inprivate conversations with the President.”
The outburst against Trudeau, and by association the other members of theG7 group, is only the latest incident in which Trump has clashed withAmerica’s closest allies, even as he has had warm words for autocrats likeKim and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
This has raised concerns at home and abroad, and shortly after Trumptweeted respected Republican Senator John McCain responded.
“To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade,pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of sharedvalues. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t,” hetweeted.
When Trump left Quebec it was thought that a compromise had been reached,despite the tension and determination of European leaders PresidentEmmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to pushback on Trump’s assault on the world trade system.
Officials from European delegations quickly leaked copies of the jointstatement to AFP, and it was published online moments before Trump tweeted.Copies that begin “We, the Leaders of the G7…” were distributed in thepress room stamped “Approved.”
On board Air Force One an AFP reporter was first told that Trump had indeedapproved the agreement, only to be told later of the tweets. A senioradministration official told the reporter that Trump had been angered byTrudeau’s comments.
The outburst suggested that any deal had collapsed and his more or lessexplicit threat to impose sanctions on imports of cars will outrage hisostensible allies — in particular Germany and Canada who produce many forthe large US market.
In retrospect, the consensus on ground had appeared shaky from the outset,and even as Trump flew out it was clear that the summit had failed to healthe rift on trade.
Trump claimed America had been obliged to levy the metals tariffs as it hasbeen exploited as the world’s “piggy bank” under existing arrangements, buthis counterparts were equally determined to protect “rules-based”international trade. – APP/AFP