WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau failed to paper over differences on the treatment of refugees during a joint public appearance Monday, but appeared to tone down harsh trade rhetoric. While there was little common ground on migration, Trudeau and Trump did appear to narrow the gap on trade. Trump had vowed to put “America first” and rip up the North America Free Trade Agreement, but significantly toned down that rhetoric after meeting Trudeau. Trump called for trade to be “reciprocal,” but said he wanted to only “tweak” rather than gut the terms of trade. “America is deeply fortunate to have a neighbor like Canada,” Trump said, hailing the opportunity to “build even more bridges” of commerce.

Source: Manila Times February 13, 2017 20:48 UTC