OTTAWA–Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada remains committed to “respectful” talks with the United States, sticking to the script in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent trade tirade.

Speaking after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Friday, Trudeau maintained Canada prefers to have a fact-based re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

“The way we deal with those issues will always be based on facts, based on a strong defence of Canadian interests, but also based on an approach that is respectful and productive,” Trudeau said in the foyer of the House of Commons.

“That’s what Canadians expect of their government, to stand up for Canadians’ interests and to engage constructively with our partners around the world, and that’s exactly what I will do.”

It’s the approach Ottawa has taken in the face of comments on Tuesday and Thursday from Trump, who is championing Wisconsin and New York dairy farmers against the perceived “unfairness” of Canadian rules governing dairy trade.

While Trump has not indicated, specifically, what he considers unfair about the relationship, it’s believed the president is referring to the trade of ultrafiltered milk — a high-protein product sometimes used in cheese and yogurt production.

Roughly 75 farm families in Wisconsin blame Canada for them losing their buyer for the dairy product, saying their livelihood has been threatened. The concerns of those 75 families appear to have put a strain on the crucial Canada-U.S. trade relationship — one that went from being a “very outstanding relationship” to a “disaster” in Trump’s words in just two short months.

In response to Trump’s comments, Trudeau’s cabinet is keeping calm and blaming U.S. domestic politics.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Friday that he wasn’t surprised that Trump, while praising the overall relationship between the two countries, is pointing to specific long-standing irritants like dairy and lumber.

“We will find ourselves in situations where we are talking to specific industries and recognize the challenge of those industries,” Morneau said at an event in Washington, D.C. Friday morning.

“That’s always going to be the case as a politician. So being in Wisconsin and talking about the dairy sector is not a surprise.”

There is also the question of whether Canada can take Trump’s comments at face value. The president, both as a candidate and in office, has been known for aggressive rhetoric that has not always translated into concrete action.

In a telling sign of these times, Morneau would not answer directly when asked whether Canada can trust the president’s word.

“We haven’t entered into NAFTA discussions yet,” Morneau said.

Despite the escalating rhetoric in Washington, there was some good news for the governing Liberals on the international front Friday. At a time when small-L liberal voices are harder to find in world capitals, Trudeau seems to have found an ally in Italy’s Gentiloni.

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Canada?s ambassador to the U.S. says he expects to have constructive trade talks with the Trump administration despite the president questioning Canada?s practices in the dairy industry.

Speaking outside the House of Commons Friday morning, Gentiloni praised the Canadian prime minister’s openness to free trade, gender equality, and Canada’s more welcoming refugee and immigration policies.

“We are living in interesting times and this common vision, I think, will be helpful for us and for the world,” Gentiloni said at the joint press conference.

Gentiloni, who had met Thursday with Trump at the White House, remarked that the current climate in international politics seemed less than supportive of dialogue and cooperation.

With a file from the Canadian Press.

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