US Treasury Secretary Says Canada Can’t Become ‘Opening’ for ‘Cheap’ Chinese Goods

“We can’t let Canada become an opening [for] the Chinese to pour their cheap goods into the U.S.,” he said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2026. Denis Balibouse/Reuters

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for negotiating a deal to bring Chinese electric vehicles to Canada, arguing that it may adversely affect the already tense trade relationship with the United States.

Bessent said Carney’s decision to drop industry-specific tariffs on EVs from China after meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this month did not bode well for this summer’s renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).