'No more selling Bombardier in the United States!' The president posted in a string of more than 60 posts
U.S. President Donald Trump launched a string of complaints and threats targeting Canada, levelling an attack against aircraft maker Bombardier and posting a photo of the North American continent covered in an American flag.
“No more selling Bombardier in the United States!” the president posted on his Truth Social page Monday just hours before the looming midnight trade deadline. “Their products aren’t good enough! Over 50 per cent of their revenue comes from the United States — they live off American buyers, American companies, American airports, and American service — all while Canada blocks our GREAT American Banks, and companies, throughout the U.S.A.”
The comments were part of a social media blitz in which Trump intensified his attacks on both Canada and Mexico, heaping new uncertainty onto the ongoing trade disputes between the U.S. and its neighbours. The president made more than 60 posts on Monday, taunting “Governor Carney,” threatening to change the name of the state of New Mexico to “New America,” and complaining about the “imbalance” between the value of the Canadian and U.S. dollars.
At 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Canada’s raft of sweeping counter-tariffs, ranging from 15 per cent to 50 per cent on $28 billion worth of goods, are to come into effect. As of late Monday afternoon, Canadian officials said they were not scheduled to continue talks with U.S. negotiators.
As part of his threat to block sales of Bombardier jets in the U.S., Trump claimed the move was in response to Canada blocking U.S.-based Gulfstream Aerospace and other companies from operating in Canada.
“That era is OVER!” he said. “If they want our market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a “piggybank.” Buy American. Fly on American airliners. Enjoy American liquor and beverages. Sail on Lake America.”
Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, questioned whether Trump had the authority to block sales of Bombardier in the U.S. market.
“He can’t just ban their sale,” she said. “He can try to impose tariffs; he can impose other economic barriers; he can ask the FAA to decertify them. There are other things he can do, but he can’t just ban it like that.”
Kavanagh said Trump may be “frustrated” at Canada for not caving to his latest bout of trade threats and is expressing his willingness to deepen the conflict rather than level specific tariffs against specific products.
“The spirit of the post is kind of what to interpret, rather than the actual literal statement.”
The Federal Aviation Administration, not the White House, is the agency that certifies or decertifies aircraft in the U.S.
Bombardier models remain U.S. certified and the company is currently exempt from U.S. tariffs.
His Bombardier comments came just hours after the president had also voiced complaints about the value of the Canadian dollar, marking a new line of economic attack against Canada.
“Canada’s (currency) Dollar imbalance with the U.S. is unacceptable,” he said. “It has been that way for years — but no longer!”
Those comments somewhat resemble complaints that Trump levelled against China for more than a decade, calling the country a “currency manipulator” for the way it artificially depressed the value of its Yuan.
Lower value currencies are viewed as advantageous for exporting nations, as it lets companies receive a higher-value currency in exchange for the goods they sell. Still, stronger currencies are generally viewed more favourably than weak ones for the buying power it affords consumers. Trump, whose bellicose trade policy has long sought to expand export capacity by attracting more manufacturers back inside U.S. borders, has long viewed the strong U.S. dollar as a detriment.
Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at Servus Credit Union, said Trump’s decision to target the Canadian dollar likely reflects the president’s desire to eliminate the U.S.’s trade deficit with Canada.
“The problem is that a stronger Canadian dollar would do next to nothing to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, because most of that deficit is due to U.S. oil imports,” he said.
On Monday, the Canadian dollar was valued at $0.72 per US$1. The loonie was last valued higher than the U.S. in 2011, when high oil prices had rapidly inflated the value of the Canadian dollar.
Additional reporting from Tracy Moran
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