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WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s views on trade have taken a battering in a newly released report that was not only published by his own White House, but presented under his own signature.

The self-rebuke includes some of his talking points about Canada.

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The president regularly bemoans a trade deficit with the northern neighbour. Once again Monday, he was complaining about Canadian trade, saying: “We lose a lot with Canada. People don’t know it. Canada’s very smooth. They have you believe that it’s wonderful. And it is, for them. Not wonderful for us.”

Far less smooth is the consistency of U.S. messaging.

A far more positive story about trade appears in the newly released 2018 White House “Economic Report of the President” — it’s an annual document prepared by the president’s team, with Trump himself signing the introductory foreword.

The document smashes at a few of the president’s favoured themes.