WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said today that it will be difficult to make a trade deal with Canada after the country announced it is backing Palestinian statehood.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Carney announced yesterday that Canada is planning to recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the UN in September.
Canada’s announcement follows France and Britain in recognising a Palestinian state.
Israel and its closest ally, the US, both rejected Carney’s statements.
Canada and the US are working on negotiating a trade deal by Aug 1, the date Trump is threatening to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Carney said yesterday that tariff negotiations with the US President Donald Trump’s administration have been constructive, but the talks may not conclude by the deadline.