Trudeau speaks to Trump on trade, border closure

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he spoke to his American counterpart Monday about trade issues and the continuing closed border between the two countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trudeau told reporters that as the North American economy gets back up to speed, Canada's aluminum production is returning to normal and that undercuts the U.S. argument for tariffs on imports from north of the border.

"I impressed upon him that it would be a shame to see tariffs come in an hour between our two countries at a time where we're celebrating NAFTA," Trudeau said.  Both countries agreed to work on the issue.

At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Canadian smelters adjusted their production when U.S. demand for value-added products dried up, triggering concerns about an increase in generic aluminum crossing south of the border.

But as the U.S. auto sector resumes production, Trudeau says aluminum makers in Canada will soon be back to producing the specialized products that are not manufactured by American smelters.

Trudeau also says bilateral discussions are continuing on the Canada-U.S. border, which remains closed to non-essential travel as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continues to rise.

"We've pledged to continue to monitor closely the situation that is constantly evolving," Trudeau said.

He says the two countries will make an announcement before the current border agreement expires next week.