Trump Orders U.S. Out of G7 Statement; Cites Trudeau Comments on Canada Tariff Dispute

Trump Orders U.S. Out of G7 Statement; Cites Trudeau Comments on Canada Tariff Dispute

Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump at the G7 summit on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

UPDATED June 9, 2018 8:47pmET

The G7 leaders appeared to have a unified statement on their way out of Charlevoix — but not for long.

Soon after public release of an official joint communiqué said to be supported by all members, U.S. President Donald Trump voiced his displeasure with Canada’s prime minister and ordered no American endorsement of the document.

Trump’s tweets followed yesterday’s bilateral meeting with Justin Trudeau and the continuing cross-border dispute over U.S. aluminium and steel tariffs and planned Canadian retaliation.

Trump, en route to Singapore and the U.S.-North Korea summit meeting after leaving Quebec this morning, was responding to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s defence of Canada’s position at his closing news conference:

A PMO spokesman responded to Trump’s tweets this evening:

-Andrew Thomson

More on the G7 Summit:

 

Summit Highlights

Economy and Trade

Whether promoting growth within the G7 or in the developing world, Canada will stress the need to promote economic opportunities for women.

But how will support for progressive trade deals and multilateralism mix with an American president willing to take a protectionist approach to fulfill his “America First” slogan?

Especially with Donald Trump’s decision to impose steel and aluminium tariffs on Canada and the European Union — and his public comments and tweets in recent days about Canadian supply management and the U.S.-Europe balance of trade?

The G7 finance ministers’ meeting was clear: many highlighted the negative impact of unilateral trade actions by the United States. Ministers and Governors agreed that this discussion should continue at the Leaders’ Summit in Charlevoix, where decisive action is needed. The aim of this should be to restore collaborative partnerships to promote free, fair, predictable and mutually beneficial trade.

CPAC’s Martin Stringer has this preview:

Here are some numbers and dollar figures on G7 economies:

Peter Van Dusen speaks with Scotty Greenwood (Canadian-American Business Council), Angella MacEwen (Canadian Labour Congress), and Dionne Pohler (University of Toronto):

What do you think needs to be done on Canada-U.S. economic relations? Here’s what we heard on the street:

Here’s International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau explaining her government’s priorities in an extended interview with CPAC’s Peter Van Dusen:

-Andrew Thomson

Security

G7 leaders have no shortage of security problems to confront. Iran, Syria, and the Middle East. China and North Korea. Russia and Ukraine. Venezuela and global terrorism. Migration and cyber attacks.

Can they find consensus on the biggest issues with Donald Trump in the room? Here’s a preview from CPAC’s Andrew Thomson

And another look around the globe at some of big issues — and what G7 governments have already discussed this year:

Peter Van Dusen talks to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale about G7 talks on border security, election interference, Iran, and more:

Political scientist Stephanie Carvin offered her thoughts on why consensus may be difficult:

Ian Bremmer, political scientist and founder of the Eurasia Group, talks with Alison Smith about why the G7 has proven ineffective:

Also watch analysis from Laura Dawson (Wilson Centre), Colin Robertson (Canadian Global Affairs Institute), and Wesley Wark (University of Ottawa):

And Fen Hampson (Carleton University), author of a new book on Brian Mulroney’s diplomacy as prime minister, offers his thoughts:

-Andrew Thomson

Gender Equality

Canada plans to put gender equality in the spotlight at the Charlevoix summit.

Here’s a preview from CPAC’s Elizabeth Zogalis:

Leaders endorsed a set of principles at the 2017 Taormina meeting that included:

  • increasing women’s leadership
  • increasing access to quality jobs
  • reducing violence against women and girls

Here’s more on the gender gap in G7 countries:

The Trudeau government’s 2018 budget promised pay equity legislation for federally-regulated workers, funding to promote women entrepreneurship, and $2 billion over five years on foreign aid focused on gender equality.

Bono’s “One” campaign, among other voices, wants Canada and the other G7 countries to commit more resources to women’s empowerment. And many activists want more accountability from G7 governments on the promises they’ve already made.

Labour Minister Patty Hajdu speaks to Peter Van Dusen about the government’s G7 priorities on gender equality:

Watch for analysis from Kate Higgins (Oxfam Canada) and Paulette Senior (Canadian Women’s Foundation):

Alison Smith speaks with a diplomat and a student about gender equality:

What we heard on the street about what the G7 can do about gender equality:

-Andrew Thomson

Environment

Canada wants the G7 summit to focus on the world’s oceans — the rising water levels, melting ice, and extreme weather connected to climate change, and the millions of tonnes of plastic added each year.

Meanwhile, the United States remains outside the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions. Other G7 countries remain committed but are struggling to meet their targets. And the summit comes one week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed the Canadian government to buying the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Andrew Thomson looks at how climate change and ocean plastics could figure at the 2018 G7 summit:

Peter Van Dusen questions Environment Minister Catherine McKenna on Canada’s G7 priorities and record:

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe assesses the current state of climate change and the world’s oceans:

American economist Jeffrey Sachs discusses the political implications of climate change and the environment:

More on the G7 countries and climate change:

And a panel of experts has their say on what to expect in Quebec: Catherine Abreu (Climate Action Network), Celine Bak (Analytica Advisors), and Bruce Pardy (Queen’s University):

What countries are responsible for the most plastic entering the world’s oceans? Browse the map below for numbers from a landmark 2015 academic study:

-Andrew Thomson

Future Jobs

Automation, innovation, and anxiety over jobs of the future are also on the G7 agenda.

How will advances in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) complement — or displace — workers in the developed world? And how will governments address privacy concerns?

CPAC’s Martin Stringer previews the G7 discussion:

Watch more on workplace disruption:

Watch more analysis with Peter Van Dusen and Sarah Doyle (Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) and Stephen Harrington (Deloitte):

More on economic policy, development, and jobs of the future with entrepreneur and policy strategist Thomas d’Aquino, and Janice MacKinnon, Saskatchewan’s former finance minister:

And former prime minister Paul Martin discusses globalization and the role of G7 and G20 meetings:

-Andrew Thomson

G7 and Canada

Canada wasn’t a charter member of the mid-1970s meetings that became the Group of Seven. In fact, Canada’s absence from the first summit in 1975 proved controversial.

Take a look at how presidents and prime ministers saw the issue:

For the Record: Canada Joins the G6

Here’s how some Canadians see Canada’s role in the world in 2018:

And how Canada can potentially benefit as G7 host:

 

What is the G7?

The what, when, and why of the Group of Seven:


How does the G7 compare to the G20?

G7

The Group of Seven dates to the mid 1970s and efforts to coordinate economic policy among the West’s most powerful economies.

Members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States

Russia was a member from 1998 to 2014 — making it the G8 instead. Russia was suspended over the Crimean annexation, and chose to leave the group for good in 2017.

G20

The Group of 20 formed in 1999 to also look at global economic and financial issues, but with wider representation and emerging powers. Its members account 85 per cent of the world economy and two-thirds of all people.

Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

-Andrew Thomson

Perspective with Alison Smith: G7 Special

Catch a special one-hour edition of Perspective with Alison Smith for a broader look at the G7’s international impact.

The Big 5: Previewing the G7

Watch the full special hosted by Peter Van Dusen:


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