The US appeared to progress toward trade deals with key Latin American allies, even as tensions with Canada worsened.
Brazil’s leader said US President Donald Trump “guaranteed” the countries would reach an agreement to lower Washington’s 50% tariffs, initially imposed over what Trump said was the mistreatment of a personal ally, while Mexico’s leader said her country had made progress with Washington over a bilateral deal.
However, she cautioned that an existing trade regime between Canada, Mexico, and the US could only survive if fraying ties between Washington and Ottawa improved, which seems unlikely in the short term: Trump increased tariffs on Canadian goods by 10% over a provincial ad criticizing his trade plans.