Trade Policy: Trump Cuts Some Canadian Tariffs After Obama Rally

Donald Trump announced plans to lift tariffs on certain Canadian products on Friday. The move came one day after former President Barack Obama ridiculed the trade dispute during a campaign stop in Cleveland.

Obama targeted the administration's strategy at a rally for Democratic candidates in Ohio. He referred to Canada as a "well-known evil empire." The former president joked that the country gave Americans "maple syrup and Martin Short." He called Canadians "the nicest people" and questioned why Trump would pick a fight with them.

The timing of the tariff relief coincided with rising costs for American consumers. Obama noted that these higher prices have hurt Republican prospects in the midterms, especially in border states.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc told CBC's Power & Politics that Ottawa does not expect a full deal before the Nov. 3 election. The two nations have exchanged retaliatory tariffs since Trump launched his levy campaign last year. The measures were intended to address fentanyl trafficking and trade imbalances. Negotiations between the two sides collapsed in August.

Trump has frequently cited Canada in his own campaign speeches. Speaking in Highland Heights, Kentucky, on Oct. 17, he predicted an "amazing" deal would happen at some point. He claimed the U.S. lost "billions and billions of dollars" to Canada for years. The crowd cheered when he called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a "loser."

Trump then addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney. He described Carney as a "nice guy" who becomes less nice during trade talks. "They're learning and they're suffering," Trump told the audience.