MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2019) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during his phone call with US President Donald Trump, reiterated that US tariffs on steel and aluminum should be lifted, the prime minister's office has said in a statement.
"The Prime Minister raised the issue of U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs and reiterated the importance of their removal. The Prime Minister and President also exchanged views on progress toward the ratification of the new North American Free Trade Agreement, and underscored the strength of the mutually beneficial Canada-US economic partnership," the statement, issued on Thursday, read.
Trudeau and Trump also discussed Ottawa's efforts to ensure the release of two Canadian nationals detained in China.
Earlier in the day, the White House said that Trump had expressed his support to Canada in its efforts to secure the fair treatment and release of the Canadian nationals detained in the Asian country.
In March 2018, Trump introduced 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imports. Canada fell under the new duties last June and subsequently retaliated against the US move by introducing its own duties on US goods.
Canada, alongside Mexico, is part of a trilateral trade agreement with the United States which was referred to as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and had recently been reworked to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), or the new NAFTA.
