(Bloomberg) -- The Group of Seven is kicking off with more Donald Trump threats on trade, cueing up a whirlwind 24 hours of talks between allies before the U.S. president leaves early.
“Looking forward to straightening out unfair Trade Deals with the G-7 countries. If it doesn't happen, we come out even better!” the president wrote on Twitter, hours before he's due to arrive in Quebec. “I am heading for Canada and the G-7 for talks that will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States.”
The tweets confirm Trump will indeed come, after weeks of speculation he may cancel rather than endure widespread criticism from allies over steel and aluminum tariffs. Instead, he looks set to fire back with his America First mantra.
Other leaders, such as France's Emmanuel Macron, have warned they won't sign a joint statement that bows to Trump's wishes. “The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be,” he tweeted.
The G-7 summit is set up to be the most acrimonious in years, putting pressure on Justin Trudeau as host to bridge a divide between Trump and Europe, with Japan's Shinzo Abe poised to fall somewhere in the middle. Trump will leave the summit early to attend a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Wingrove in Ottawa at jwingrove4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman
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