WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2018) President Donald Trump said in an interview on Thursday he would exit the World Trade Organization (WTO) if it continues to treat the United States unfairly.
"If they don't shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO," Trump said in the interview with Bloomberg news on Thursday.
Trump reiterated during the interview his criticism of the global trade system after his June statement about the United States being disadvantaged as part of the WTO. The US president repeatedly called the WTO a catastrophe and a disaster for the United States.
The Trump administration has recently took several significant steps regarding US trade policy. On Monday, the United States and Mexico signed a new bilateral deal eliminating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Trump expressed hope Canada may join the US-Mexico trade agreement or reach a similar deal with the United States, but he said the easiest thing is to impose more tariffs on Canadian imports.
Despite Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland signaling the progress in the trade negotiations with the United States, a final announcement on reaching a deal has not been made yet.
The White House introduced a series of tariffs on foreign imports since March, prompting a backlash from many of Washington's trade partners. The European Union and China have imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods in response to Trump's duties on steel and aluminum.
