By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump told Canadian officials he wants to renegotiate the 1908 treaty that demarcates the US-Canada border, a report said on Friday.
According to the New York Times, during two phone calls on Feb. 3 with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump raised grievances over trade issues, including Canada’s protected dairy sector and taxation policies.
However, he also questioned the validity of the longstanding border treaty and suggested revising the boundary, the Times reported, citing four people with firsthand knowledge of the calls.
Trump also mentioned revisiting agreements on the sharing of lakes and rivers between the two nations, further signaling his broader push to reshape US-Canada relations.
The 1908 treaty Trump referenced set the US-Canada border when Canada was a British dominion.
Canadian officials took Trump’s remarks seriously, particularly given his previous threats to use “economic force” against Canada, the newspaper said.
The White House did not immediately comment on the report.