WASHINGTON (AP) — The Toronto Star reports that President Donald Trump has said privately that he won’t make compromises with Canada in high-stakes talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The report appeared to raise doubt about whether the two countries can reach a deal soon to keep Canada in the trading bloc.
The Star obtained the comments from a Trump interview with Bloomberg News. Trump wanted the comments to remain private because otherwise “it’s going to be so insulting they’re not going to be able to make a deal.”
In response, Lindsay Walters, a White House spokeswoman, said only, “The Canadian and American negotiators continue to work on reaching a win-win deal that benefits both countries.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters about the talks, “We aren’t there yet.”
