President Donald Trump's trade talks with Canada have stalled – with threats of retaliatory tariffs ramping up again – but Vice President JD Vance was in Maine, explaining to voters that Canada has been friendlier to China on trade than to them, particularly farmers. "They treat Chinese goods more fairly than they do the goods that come from the people of Maine: It’s insanity," Vance said during a question-and-answer session in Brewer, Maine, on Monday afternoon. "And what we’ve said to Canada is stop it." Vance said he believes the U.S. and Canada had been close to reaching a trade agreement before negotiations broke down, blaming Ottawa for bringing what he described as "unreasonable last-minute demands" to the table.
TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM 'THE BEST DEAL' TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS "I frankly thought we had a deal," Vance said. "I think that we should have a deal, but I think that we need to send a message loud and clear to the prime minister of Canada: Stop taking advantage of the people of Maine.
Stop taking advantage of America. It’s over." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday that Canada was suspending negotiations. Trump posted Monday on Truth Social that he plans to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles, auto parts and steel beginning in January 2027.
"Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years," Trump wrote. "Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!" TRUMP ALLIES PUSH TO ARM PRESIDENT WITH NEW TARIFF WEAPON TO PUNISH COUNTRIES 'RIPPING OFF' AMERICA Vance made the remarks during an appearance at Compotech, a defense technology manufacturer in Brewer, as the vice president fielded a question about how the administration’s tariffs could affect Maine businesses and consumers.
"We’re very mindful of the fact that Maine is a border state with Canada," Vance said. "There’s a lot of cross-border transaction between Maine and Canada. And what we’re trying to do here is just make sure that Maine actually gets a fair deal." Vance argued that Canada and China have been among the worst offenders when it comes to trade barriers against the U.S., while drawing a sharp distinction between what Washington expects from an economic competitor and from a longtime ally.
CHAD WOLF: AMERICA CANNOT IGNORE CHINA’S ECONOMIC ATTACK ON US INDUSTRY "China, you of course expect — they’re our biggest economic competitor," Vance said. "I would expect that from China. I would not expect that from Canada." Vance then briefly referred to Canada as a "state" before immediately correcting himself, referencing Trump's long-running trolling of Canada, teasing it as the 51st state.
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