Justin Trudeau charms Donald Trump

GIVE Justin Trudeau credit for emotional intelligence. Paying his first visit to Washington after Donald
Trump took office, on February 13th, the Canadian prime minister brought his host the perfect gift: a
photograph of the president in his youth with Mr Trudeau’s father, Pierre, a glamorous prime minister
of the 1970s. The subtle caress of Mr Trump’s vanity seemed to go down well. Mr Trudeau went
home with Mr Trump’s promise that Canada has little to fear from his plan to renegotiate the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which gives Canada, Mexico and the United States
preferential access to each other’s markets.
Before the meeting, the Canadians were nervous. Mr Trump’s repeated threats either to renegotiate
NAFTA or to rip it up were aimed almost entirely at Mexico (which, unlike Canada, has a big trade
surplus with the United States). Yet Canada has almost as much to lose if the United States rescinds
the 23-year-old agreement or demands one-sided revisions. The value of Canada’s trade worldwide
is equivalent to 65% of its GDP; the United States buys three-quarters of Canada’s exports. American
protectionism could trigger an economic crisis and political turmoil north of the border.
Canadian planning for the meeting went beyond combing the archives for a flattering photo. Mr
Trudeau revamped his cabinet last month to take account of the new reality in Washington. Chrystia
Freeland, a former journalist who has worked in the United States and knows many of the decision-
makers, replaced the cerebral but brusque Stéphane Dion as foreign minister. Before the summit Mr
Trudeau dispatched his foreign, finance and defence ministers to Washington.
Canadians do not enjoy watching their prime minister pay court to Mr Trump. Nearly 75% think he will
be a bad president, according to a poll published last month. The New Democrats, an opposition
party, urged the prime minister to castigate Mr Trump for his ban on refugees (some of whom have
crossed into Canada to claim asylum). Mr Trudeau held his tongue, but preserved Canadian dignity
by hinting at his disagreement with Mr Trump’s policies.
This artfulness seems to be working. Mr Trump declared America’s trading relations with Canada to
be “outstanding” (while those with Mexico remain “extremely unfair”). Tweaks to NAFTA, he said, “will
benefit both our countries”. Knowing he prefers bilateral deals, some analysts think he may replace
NAFTA with separate accords with Canada and Mexico.
The bonhomie could disappear when Mr Trump defines his policies more clearly. He wants a “buy
American” programme, which could discriminate against Canadian exporters. A “border-adjustment
tax” on imports, part of a proposed corporate-tax reform, could reduce Canada’s GDP by 1%, reckons
the C.D. Howe Institute, a think-tank. That would be poor thanks for Mr Trudeau’s gift.
BEFORE campaigning began in August for Canada’s general election, pundits speculated that the
country’s centrist Liberal Party, which had governed for most of the past century, might soon fade into
irrelevance. Stephen Harper, the Conservative prime minister, hoped to be elected to a fourth term.
His main challenger looked like being Thomas Mulcair, leader of the left-leaning New Democrats
(NDP), which had supplanted the Liberals as the official opposition but had never governed the
country before. Mr Harper spent much of the campaign mocking the Liberals’ inexperienced leader,
Justin Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister, as “just not ready” to lead the country.
On October 19th Canada’s voters toppled the prime minister and humbled the pundits who had
predicted the Liberals’ demise. Mr Trudeau’s party won a majority of the 338 seats in the House of
Commons and can govern without support from the NDP, which finished third.
The election was a referendum on Mr Harper’s divisive decade in power. As a net exporter of energy,
Canada was hurt by the drop in oil prices. Its economy contracted in the first half of 2015,
undermining Mr Harper’s claim that only the Conservatives could manage it. Two-thirds of voters
wanted him out of office, but it was not clear they would coalesce around either of his main
challengers.
In the end they swung behind Mr Trudeau, thanks to his deft campaign and to mistakes by the NDP.
Mr Mulcair, fearing that the NDP would be branded tax-and-spend socialists, joined the
Conservatives in promising a balanced budget. Mr Trudeau seized the opportunity to differentiate the
Liberals. He promised to run deficits temporarily to pay for a C$60 billion ($46 billion) programme of
infrastructure spending over ten years. That chimed with the sunny outlook of the Liberals’ campaign.
Mr Trudeau, voters decided, was the better anti-Harper.
BEFORE campaigning began in August for Canada’s general election, pundits speculated that the
country’s centrist Liberal Party, which had governed for most of the past century, might soon fade into
irrelevance. Stephen Harper, the Conservative prime minister, hoped to be elected to a fourth term.
His main challenger looked like being Thomas Mulcair, leader of the left-leaning New Democrats
(NDP), which had supplanted the Liberals as the official opposition but had never governed the
country before. Mr Harper spent much of the campaign mocking the Liberals’ inexperienced leader,
Justin Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister, as “just not ready” to lead the country.
On October 19th Canada’s voters toppled the prime minister and humbled the pundits who had
predicted the Liberals’ demise. Mr Trudeau’s party won a majority of the 338 seats in the House of
Commons and can govern without support from the NDP, which finished third.
The election was a referendum on Mr Harper’s divisive decade in power. As a net exporter of energy,
Canada was hurt by the drop in oil prices. Its economy contracted in the first half of 2015,
undermining Mr Harper’s claim that only the Conservatives could manage it. Two-thirds of voters
wanted him out of office, but it was not clear they would coalesce around either of his main
challengers.
In the end they swung behind Mr Trudeau, thanks to his deft campaign and to mistakes by the NDP.
Mr Mulcair, fearing that the NDP would be branded tax-and-spend socialists.
 Reading Report #18
Justin Trudeau charms Donald Trump
Voc. strategy used: Reference
Possessive Adjective What does it refer to?
His Primera visitade Justin Trudeau a Washington después
de que Donald Trump asumiera el cargo.
Their Al primer ministro Justin Trudeau
His Prohibición de refugiados de Donald Trump
Our Ambos países: Canadá y EUA
His La hábil campaña de Trudeau
His Principales rivales en la campaña de Harper
His Políticas de Trump
His Ministros de Trudeau
His Gabinete de Trudeau
Its Economía de Canada en el gobierno de Harper
Summary:
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, se reúne por primera vez, este lunes, con el primer
ministro de Canadá, Justin Trudeau, quien espera evitar enfrentamientos con su nuevo homólogo
estadounidense.
Aun así, Trudeau se negó a criticar activamente el decreto inmigración, que actualmente está sumido
en desafíos legales y, por ahora, en suspenso. La política de refugiados no es la única división entre
Trudeau y Trump. Los líderes han expresado opiniones muy diferentes sobre el cambio climático y la
política económica.
Trump se ha comprometido a renegociar el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte entre
México, Estados Unidos y Canadá, aunque las conversaciones detalladas sobre lo que se incluirá en
un nuevo acuerdo no serán discutidas este lunes.