Canadian official says Europe erred on Trump tariffs

Former Canadian trade minister Chrystia Freeland has criticized Europe for succumbing to pressure from the Trump administration on tariffs during the latter's second term. According to Freeland, "A real problem for the Western alliance has been the decision by the UK and by the EU to give in to the Trump bullying on tariffs," she told Semaform.

She claimed that the EU and the UK had each negotiated with the administration following the imposition of unilateral tariffs, with the latter agreeing to a pact that took effect this year. The breakdown in US trade relations with Canada has led Ottawa to announce counter-tariffs in response to US pressure. Freeland, who is releasing a new book, suggested that it may be possible for the US and Canada to reestablish a constructive relationship, although she acknowledged the difficulty of such an endeavor and believed it might require a significant break following Trump's tenure.

"There would have to be a clear break because the problem is: How do you do a deal with someone who already broke the deal that you did with them?" Freeland stated.