Recently, the trade conflicts between the United States and Canada have intensified. On August 31 local time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin mocked Canada in a media interview.
On August 31 local time, Bessenette said in an interview with the American Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), “When the other party is 13 times larger than you, I don’t think you can engage in a confrontational struggle with them.”
He pointed out that the United States is not at war with Canada. “How would we go to war with Canada? Are they going to send two submarines from the Edmonton shopping center to attack us?”
Public reports indicate that the submarines mentioned by Bessen refer to the entertainment facilities at the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. These facilities are part of the “Deep Sea Adventure Submarine Tour” project, which featured four submarines in total. Some people jokingly said that the number of submarines at this mall was even larger than that of the Canadian Royal Navy. The project began in 1985, ceased operations in 2005, and the submarines were dismantled in 2012.
In an interview on August 31, Besant also said, 'It is very regrettable that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has turned this matter into a political debate.'
He pointed out that Trudeau came to power based on his political stance against the United States and President Trump. 'It is regrettable that he did not do what was most beneficial for the Canadian people, but rather what was most beneficial for the Liberal Party and Trudeau himself. In the long run, the Canadian people will see through this.'
Bensen said: “We had offered the best trade agreements among all countries worldwide to Canada, but he chose to withdraw at the last moment.”
On August 22, the United States imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian goods worth approximately $20 billion. The next day, Justin Trudeau announced that Ottawa had suspended trade negotiations with the United States and would implement a “dollar-for-dollar” countermeasure to the new U.S. tariffs. He accused Trump of “misjudging” Canada’s determination, stating that the two countries were in fact already engaged in a trade war.
"When you are attacked, you are in the midst of war, and we have been attacked as well," said Carney that day in Ottawa to reporters. He stated that Trump underestimated Canada's capacity to withstand economic difficulties, and this miscalculation ultimately led to trade tensions further escalating."
