Americans favor Trudeau over Trump on trade policy: Poll

New polls show that more Americans support Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau than US President Donald Trump in the two leaders' quarrel over trade policy.

That’s according to two Ipsos polls for Global News and Reuters released on Saturday. The polls find that the Canadian PM has a 20-point advantage over Trump among Americans when it comes to who is better handling the negotiations over tariffs and other trade issues.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents in America said they support Trudeau's policy, compared to just 37 percent who told the poll they back Trump.

The poll comes amid an escalating trade dispute between Canada and the United States and after Trump’s personal attack on Trudeau over the last few days.

“PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, ‘US Tariffs were kind of insulting’ and he ‘will not be pushed around,’” Trump tweeted while on his way to Singapore to meet Kim.

“Very dishonest & weak,” he added. “Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!”

On June 9, Trump left the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations’ summit in Canada early in anticipation of the meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

Trudeau said after the G7 summit that it was "kind of insulting" that the United States implemented steel and aluminum tariffs against his country on the basis of national security. Trudeau also promised to slap retaliatory tariffs against Washington and said that Canada "will not be pushed around."

In response, Trump said that the United States would not sign the joint communiqué signed by the other nations at the G7 summit.

"Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communiqué as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!" he tweeted.

The lower house of Canada’s parliament earlier this week condemned the attacks on Trudeau by Trump and other American officials.

Lawmakers at the House of Commons unanimously adopted a measure backing Canadian steel and aluminum trade policies, as well as the supply management system that supports key agricultural sectors.

MG