US President Trump concerned Chinese products entering US through Canada

The American administration had reportedly signed out Chinese products from tarrifs exemption arguing that tariffs were needed for unfair trading practices and added that Canada was the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the US.

Trudeau government was also reportedly concerned for the American side and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  had countered a suggestion that Canada was a channel for Chinese products during his conversation earlier this week with Trump.

Trudeau also added that Canadian steel and aluminum workers would be surprised to hear that their products are actually Chinese.

Canadian ministers and officials had reportedly reached out to more than a dozen American players after Trump's announcement last week that he would be imposing new import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

Those American officials included: Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser; John Kelly, his chief of staff; Jared Kushner, the president's son in-law and adviser; Defense Secretary James Mattis; Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross; Treasury Secretary Seth Mnuchin;  H.R. McMaster, the president's national security advisor; Gary Cohn, his chief economic adviser (who announced this week he was quitting the White House — reportedly over the tariff decision); U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft; Congressman Kevin Brady, chair of the ways and means committee; Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group and an adviser to Trump; and Tom Donahue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to Trump, Trudeau spoke to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"In recent days, we have worked energetically with our American counterparts to secure an exemption for Canada from these tariffs," Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Thursday, acknowledging the efforts of premiers, business leaders, labour leaders and parliamentarians from multiple parties.

Concerned that the US was reportedly approaching the tariffs as a national security issue Freeland was reported to state,

"We have said from the outset it would be completely unacceptable for tariffs to be levied on Canada as part of a national security consideration,"

Freeland also told that, "on aluminum, like in the United States, the Canadian industry has also raised concerns about misclassification of exports from China and we would be happy to work with U.S. Customs on this type of issue as well."

Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau,  Chrystia Freeland, tarrifs, China, Canada

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)