Trump names ‘one of the most unpleasant countries’ in negotiations

19 March 2025 11:52

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump called Canada “an unpleasant country to deal with” amid the ongoing tariff war between the two countries, provoked by Trump’s tariff moves and Canada’s response. The politician said this in an interview with Fox News, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports

Trump criticized the country as a trading partner.

“They charge huge tariffs. When I traveled to different places in Iowa, Nebraska, they were always complaining about Canada, how they were getting ripped off… We have a very large deficit with Canada,” Trump said.

According to the American leader, he has “dealt with a lot of countries,” and Canada is “one of the most unpleasant countries I’ve ever dealt with.”

“One of the most unpleasant countries to deal with is Canada. It was Trudeau – good old Justin. I call him ‘Governor Trudeau’. His people were evil, and they didn’t tell the truth,” Trump said.

He reiterated his assertion that Canada “should be the 51st state of the United States.”

“Canada should be the 51st state because we subsidize Canada to the tune of 200 billion dollars a year.”

Trump’s trade wars

Donald Trump’s administration has imposed trade restrictions on China, Mexico, and Canada, the three largest trading partners of the United States. The US government imposed an import duty of 25% of the value of goods from Canada and Mexico, and 20% on goods from China. An additional duty is imposed on Canadian energy products.

These measures have caused concern among U.S. companies that depend on metals imports from Canada and Mexico. They are expected to look for alternative sources of supply, in particular in the Middle East, India, Chile, and Peru, which could lead to higher prices for aluminum and copper in the United States.

In addition, Canadian consumers have responded to the imposition of duties by boycotting American goods, canceling trips to the United States and refusing to buy American alcohol.

Economists warn that such trade disputes could slow global economic growth and cause inflation. Stock markets in the Gulf countries earlier reacted with a decline due to fears of a possible trade conflict. The cryptocurrency market also collapsed earlier.

All tariffs imposed by Trump in 2025

1. Tariffs on steel and aluminum

Announced: february 10, 2025.
Entered into force: march 12, 2025.
Rate: 25% on all imported steel and aluminum products.
Additional: Trump said that all duty-free steel products must be “melted and cast” in the United States, and aluminum products must be “smelted and cast.”

2. Tariffs on Chinese goods

Announced: february 1, 2025.
Entered into force: february 4, 2025 (10%), March 4, 2025 (increased to 20%).
Rate: 20% on all Chinese goods.

3. Tariffs on goods from Canada

Announced: february 1, 2025.
Entered into force: march 4, 2025.
Rate: 25% on all Canadian goods (exception: 10% on energy).
Adjustments: on March 6, tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods were postponed until April 2, 2025.

4. Tariffs on goods from Mexico

Announced: february 1, 2025.
Entered into force: march 4, 2025.
Rate: 25% on all Mexican goods.
Adjustments: on March 6, tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods were postponed until April 2, 2025.

5. Tariffs on Canadian oil, gas and potash fertilizers (potash)

Announced: february 1, 2025.
Entered into force: march 4, 2025.
Rate: 10%.
Adjustments: on March 6, the potash tariff was reduced to 10% and all energy tariffs were postponed until April 2, 2025.

6. De minimis suspension for China, Mexico and Canada

Announced: February 2025.
Action: Duty exemptions on low-value imported goods are temporarily canceled.
Adjustments: on February 7, 2025, Trump reinstated the exemptions.

7. Plan to implement “recycle tariffs”

Announced: february 13, 2025
Expected launch: april 2, 2025
What it means: calculation of duties based on the trade balance and tax rates of the US partners

8. Tariffs on copper

Announced: march 12, 2025.
Expected implementation: in the nearest future.

9. Threats of tariffs on the EU

Announced: february 2, 2025.
Expected implementation: uncertain.
Possible measures: 200% tariff on alcohol from the EU.

10. Investigation into Canadian timber

Announced: march 1, 2025.
Possibility of imposing tariffs due to the threat to US national security.

Tariffs of other countries in response to Trump’s policy

Canada

First round of tariffs

Announced: february 1, 2025.
Entered into force: march 4, 2025.
Rate: 25%.
Amount: uSD 20.8 billion. U.S. dollars (C$30 billion).
Adjustments: on March 6, Canada postponed the expansion of tariffs to 86 billion dollars. The tariffs were postponed to USD 86 billion (CAD 125 billion).

Second round of tariffs