Trump says US and Canada have ‘natural conflict’ on trade as he meets Carney in White House

Trump calls trade negotiations with Canada “complicated, more complicated than maybe any other agreement we have on trade.”

He says this is due to “natural conflict” between the two countries, but also “mutual love.”

“I love Canada, and the people of Canada, and Mark feels the same way about here,” Trump says. But he adds that they have competing business interests that are amplified by the two countries’ close geographic proximity to one another, and that this has hurt the United States.

Trump says he believes the Canada-US relationship has “come a long way,” and the “natural conflict” is something the two are working on.

Asked about whether he would offer Canada a compromise on US metal tariffs, Trump responds that compromises have already been made. “We want to make our own steel, we don’t want to bring in steel for the most part,” but he adds that at the same time, the US wants Canada to do well.

“We’re working on formulas, and we’ll get there.”