Trump trade rules apply differently to China, Canada, and Xi, Carney

President Trump heads into his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week on the heels of waging a bruising trade war with Canada that has badly damaged relations with that country. 

It’s a stark contrast from how he’s handled trade talks with China, a rival nation that many in Congress see as an enemy of the United States, but that is the world’s second-largest economy. 

While Canada has long been a U.S. ally, Trump has a frosty relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. With China, Trump has long touted his relationship with Xi, which he has described as strong.

The different approaches make sense in the context of Trump. He sees China as offering more to the U.S., and he wants Beijing’s cooperation on a host of other issues, from Iran to the Russia-Ukraine war.

But it is also an example of Trump’s great-powers approach to economic and foreign policy.

“The administration’s approach to China and Canada has diverged sharply, and leverage helps explain why,” Aarathi Krishnan, the founder of Raksha Intelligence Futures, told The Hill on Wednesday.

“China holds cards Washington cannot easily replace, particularly in rare earth processing, agricultural demand and global manufacturing,” Krishnan added. “That constrains how far the White House can push and has produced a more calibrated, transactional approach to Beijing.”

Multiple Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), have raised concerns about the president’s trade war with Canada. 

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) did not mention the U.S.-Canada tariff dispute on Tuesday during remarks on the Senate floor. Instead, the Senate Armed Services Committee chair blasted Xi ahead of his visit to Washington.

“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America,” Wicker remarked. 

The summit comes less than two months before a Nov. 10 deadline for the U.S. and China to extend a trade truce the sides reached last year. 

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended Xi’s visit in a statement to The Hill. 

“President Xi hosted President Trump in China for a historic summit this summer, and President Trump is reciprocating his hospitality by welcoming the Chinese delegation for a reciprocal........

© The Hill