Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he'd talked with his nation's leaders about Canada-U.S. trade issues – including the Trump administration decision to slap tariffs on imports of Canadian softwood lumber – amid worries about a trade war.
"The Prime Minister and Premiers agreed to continue to vigorously defend the interests of the Canadian softwood lumber industry across the country, including through litigation, and agreed that a negotiated settlement is in the best interest of both Canada and the United States," a statement from Trudeau said.
Yet President Donald Trump downplayed concerns about a U.S.-Canada trade war.
"They have a tremendous surplus with the United States. Whenever they have a surplus, I have no fear" of a trade war, he told reporters Tuesday, The Hill reported.
The Commerce Department said Monday it would impose a "countervailing duty" of between 3 percent and 24 percent on Canadian lumber exporters.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross added that the duties would amount to roughly $1 billion on softwood lumber.
"It has been a bad week for U.S.-Canada trade relations," he said in a statement.
Canada is America's second-largest trading partner, with $575 billion in two-way goods exchanged in 2015, according to The Hill.
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