Trump fires back at Trudeau: Canada has treated U.S. agriculture ‘very poorly’

President Trump on Friday fired back at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the prime minister called Thursday’s implementation of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum an affront to Canadian soldiers who died serving alongside their U.S. brothers-in-arms.

Trump in a tweet accused Canada’s government of treating U.S. agricultural interests “very poorly,” adding that the country has been “highly restrictive on trade.”

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“Canada has treated our Agricultural business and Farmers very poorly for a very long period of time. Highly restrictive on Trade!” the president tweeted.

“They must open their markets and take down their trade barriers! They report a really high surplus on trade with us. Do Timber & Lumber in U.S.?” he added.

Canada has treated our Agricultural business and Farmers very poorly for a very long period of time. Highly restrictive on Trade! They must open their markets and take down their trade barriers! They report a really high surplus on trade with us. Do Timber & Lumber in U.S.?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2018

Trump’s statement on Canada’s surplus with the U.S. is inaccurate, as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated in March that the U.S. has an overall trade surplus with Canada.

According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, the U.S. runs a $24.6 billion services trade surplus with Canada and a $12.1 billion deficit on goods. That means that the U.S. ultimately runs a $12.5 billion goods and services trade surplus with Canada.

The president previously bragged to supporters about making up facts with Trudeau on the trade deficit.

Trump told supporters at a dinner that he insisted that the U.S. had a trade deficit with Canada, but did not know if that was the case, according to leaked audio of the speech obtained by The Washington Post.

“Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please,’ ” Trump said. “Nice guy, good looking guy, comes in — ‘Donald we have no trade deficit.’ ”

“I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. … I had no idea. I just said ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid. … And I thought they were smart. I said, ‘You’re wrong, Justin,’” Trump continued.

“He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case, I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said ‘Check because I can’t believe it,’ ” he said.

Trump’s comments on Friday came after Trudeau joined other U.S. allies in outrage against the tariffs, which the countries had been negotiating over with U.S. trade officials for months.

“Let me be clear: These tariffs are totally unacceptable,” Trudeau said. “Canadians have served alongside Americans in two world wars and in Korea. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, we have fought and died together.”

“These tariffs are an affront to the long-standing security partnership between Canada and the United States, and in particular, to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside American comrades-in-arms,” he finished.

Other U.S. allies were quick to join in their disapproval of the tariffs. Mexico’s government said in a statement that it “deeply regrets and condemns the decision,” while France’s Emmanuel Macron said the measures amounted to “economic nationalism that will penalize everyone including the U.S.”