OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Group of Seven leading industrial nations can expect frank discussions on trade at a summit this week, which U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend, a senior Canadian government official said on Tuesday.
Trump infuriated Canada and European Union members of the G7 by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum last week.
A government official told reporters on Tuesday it was fair to expect that discussions on the global economy at the June 8-9 summit would quickly turn to trade issues.
“There will be disagreements on important issues and tariffs will certainly be one of them,” the official said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position on trade issues will remain consistent in talks among the G7’s leaders, an official said.
Canada said last week it would impose retaliatory tariffs on C$16.6 billion ($12.79 billion) worth of U.S. exports and would challenge the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs under the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization.
Trudeau is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with all of the attending countries’ leaders, the official said, though he did not answer directly when asked by reporters if leaders would release a communique at the end of the summit.
Reporting by David Ljunggren and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Susan Thomas
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.