Canada Warns That Donald Trump's Tariffs Could Leave Us Depending On Venezuela's Oil

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The United States would be forced to buy oil from geopolitical rivals such as Venezuela if it interrupted trade with Canada, said Ottawa Foreign Minister.

Mélanie Joly told the Financial Times that the threat of the president of the United States to impose 25 percent taxes on Canadian imports would hit “real people” if relations between the two countries descend to a commercial war.

“We send oil with a discount that, ultimately, is refined in Texas. If we are not, it is Venezuela, ”said Joly, referring to the large degrees of oil produced in Venezuela and Canada in which many US refineries depend.

“There is no other option on the table, and this administration does not want to work with Venezuela,” said Joly.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, imposed radical sanctions on Caracas during his first mandate in the White House.

Joly was in the capital of the United States leading the last minute effort of Canada to avoid the first complete commercial war of the new Trump administration, and the president threatened Thursday to apply 25 percent tariffs in Canada and Mexico to Mexico from February 1.

The president said he was considering excluding oil imports from the rates, reflecting the dependence of the United States of his neighbor to obtain large energy supplies.

Despite the high production of shale oil in states such as Texas, Canada represents approximately one in five barrels of oil consumed in the US. UU. And approximately 60 percent of its imported oil.

Many US refineries depend on the type of heavy oil produced in Canada or Venezuela, not on the lighter degrees produced by the prolific schist industry of the United States.

Joly, who had traveled to Washington to meet the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and other senior US officials, said he had also warned Capitol Hill legislators that commercial tensions would hit “real persons”, particularly In Republican states.

“We don’t want that,” said Joly. “We want us to be in a win-win position, and we believe we can offer that.”

Ottawa and Mexico City have written reprisal rates lists to issue against the US. In case Trump approves tariffs against them, people with knowledge of the matter previously told the FT.

Canada’s Minister of Energy, Jonathan Wilkinson, has promised “Tit-For-Tat” taxes on US goods such as steel and orange juice if Trump follows his threats.

Trump has launched repeated sides against Canada in recent weeks, describing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “governor” and affirm that the country should become the 51st state of the United States.

Trump said in a speech earlier this month that an American Annexation of Canada “really would be something” and could use the “economic force” to do so.

Joly said the idea had not emerged in any of its meetings with US officials. “Absolutely not,” she replied when asked.

“We can be very good friends, best friends, but we will never be a state, not a colony, point,” he said.

Canada and Mexico have also tried to demonstrate to Trump that they are ensuring their extensive land borders with the United States in response to their statements that drugs and migrants are illegally crossing their country.

“On the border, I think we are receiving good traction,” said Joly, and added that he would meet with Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, Friday.

Canada has pledged $ 1 billion on border security, and has recently deployed Black Hawk patrol helicopters recently leased, additional dogs and 60 drones on the border in part in response to Trump’s demands, as well as concerns about concerns about undocumented weapons and migrants arriving from the United States. .