Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone today, and talked about China as trade tensions play out between the world’s two biggest economies.
The prime minister’s office says Trudeau and Trump discussed relations with China, including the arbitrary detentions of two Canadian citizens in China.
The two Canadians were arrested in China shortly after Canada arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.
Since then, Canada has accused China of trying to exert economic pressure in relation to the case, including by blocking imports of canola seed from two of Canada’s biggest exporters.
The PMO says Trudeau also repeated his call for the removal of U-S tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, and that the two leaders exchanged views on progress toward ratifying the new North American trade agreement reached earlier this year.
Washington remains in a trade dispute with China, although Trump has said a deal is still possible under threat of new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods that could be imposed as early as tomorrow.