Trudeau declines to meet Trump because of US precondition
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he offered to go Washington this week to complete talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade agreement but that Vice President Mike Pence called and told him a meeting with the U.S. president would only happen if Trudeau agreed to put a five-year sunset clause into the deal.
Trudeau said he refused to go because of the "totally unacceptable" precondition. He made the comment while outlining Canada's response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
In a call to President Donald Trump last Friday, Trudeau offered to meet Trump because he felt they were close to an agreement that only required a "final deal-making moment.