(AP) President Donald Trump said Sunday that Americans could feel “some pain” from the emerging trade war triggered by his tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, and claimed that Canada would “cease to exist” without its trade surplus with the United States.
The trade penalties that Trump signed Saturday at his Florida resort caused a mix of panic, anger and uncertainty, and threatened to rupture a decades-old partnership on trade in North America while further straining relations with China.
Trump on Sunday night threatened to impose steeper tariffs elsewhere, telling reporters that it will “definitely happen” with the European Union and possibly with the United Kingdom as well.
He brushed aside retaliatory measures from Canada, saying, ““If they want to play the game, I don’t mind. We can play the game all they want."
“Canadians are perplexed,” said the country’s U.S. ambassador, Kirsten Hillman. “We view ourselves as your neighbor, your closest friend, your ally.”
By following through on a campaign pledge, Trump may also have simultaneously broken his promise to voters in last year's election that his administration could quickly reduce inflation. That means the same frustration he is facing from other nations might also spread domestically to consumers and businesses.
“WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump said in a social media post. “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”
Full coverage: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-americans-could-feel-pain-from-tariffs/507-a81251ce-60a6-46d4-aae6-313f078d6501