MONTREAL—U.S. President Donald Trump urged the quick completion of the NAFTA negotiations in a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, amid indications the U.S. wants a deal wrapped up this spring.

Trudeau called his American counterpart during a tour of aluminum facilities in Quebec, on a day the prime minister did American television interviews to promote the integrated Canada-U.S. economy.

What he heard directly from the president echoed public remarks from Trump's administration: the U.S. trade czar recently said he wants a new NAFTA concluded within weeks, because of upcoming elections in the different countries.

"President Trump emphasized the importance of quickly concluding the ongoing NAFTA negotiations," said a readout from the White House.

"(That would) ensure the vitality of United States and North American manufacturing industries and ... protect the economic and national security of the United States."

The U.S. has suggested further delays might imperil the NAFTA process, with an outsider candidate leading polls for Mexico's July 1 election, and with Trump's party in danger of losing control of the U.S. Congress.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports is “unacceptable.” Speaking Friday in Barrie, Ontario, Trudeau said the proposed tariffs would hurt both Canada and the U.S. (The Canadian Press)

Trudeau says he warned Trump that slapping tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum would “harm” negotiations aimed at signing a new continental trade deal.

The Liberal leader also warned that the U.S. President’s stated goals of saving American jobs and revitalizing the country’s economy would backfire if import taxes were applied to steel and aluminum.

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“The consequences involve a loss of jobs in Canada and the United States and higher prices for U.S. consumers,” Trudeau said in a news conference.

Trudeau cut short a family vacation in order to conduct a cross-country tour this week that will take him to steel and aluminum-producing regions in Quebec, Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Regina. The goal, he said, is to reassure anxious workers that the government intends to support them through uncertain times.

Canada is the United States’ largest provider of steel and aluminum, with about 85 per cent of Canadian exports being directed to that country.

But the duties were judged necessary because American producers were at risk of being unable to meet potential spikes in demand that could be required for military and commercial purposes, thus posing a national security risk.

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Though Canada and Mexico have been exempted from U.S. tariffs of 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminum, there is a threat that the duties could be imposed if negotiations break down to re-negotiate a new North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trudeau said he warned Trump in a telephone call on March 6 against using tariffs as a bargaining chip.

“I explained directly to the president that moving forward with tariffs on steel and aluminum will not help us with NAFTA. It will in fact harm those negotiations. They’re two separate issues.”

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said Canada won’t allow itself to be pushed into a weaker negotiation position or sacrifice the interests of the agricultural or forestry industries in Quebec to save aluminum producers.

“We won’t accept a bad NAFTA deal just to resolve this issue. We cannot compromise on this or exchange one for the other,” said Couillard, who is facing a provincial election this fall and whose provincial riding is in the region where Trudeau kicked off his national tour.

“I know how important this industry is for my region and for the province, as well as for the rest of Canada,” he said. “Canada and Quebec would not be as rich without the aluminum industry in Lac-St-Jean.”

Trudeau said Trump’s decision to focus on the steel and aluminum industries underlines Canada’s argument about the necessity of a renewed NAFTA trade deal due to the integrated nature of the countries’ two economies.

American armoured vehicles, he said, are made from Canadian steel. So are U.S. fighter jets.

“We know that the links between Canada and the United States when it comes to steel and aluminum are extremely close. It’s a very well integrated market and industry, so imposing trade barriers between the two countries on those products will have huge consequences,” Trudeau said.

The steel and aluminum tariffs are causing panic and confusion around the globe. The 28-member European Union is pushing for an exemption like the one secured by Canada, Mexico and Australia. So are Japan and South Korea.

Over the weekend, Trump wrote on Twitter that the European Union was made up of “wonderful countries who treat the U.S. very badly on trade.”

“If they drop their horrific barriers & tariffs on U.S. products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big Deficit If not, we Tax Cars etc. FAIR!”

With files from the Canadian Press

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