Peter Navarro tells NewsNation Canada is “backing out” of trade talks as U.S.-Canada dispute escalates

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Canada will “stab you in the back” as the United States and Canada remain locked in an escalating trade dispute, telling NewsNation on Friday that Canada had backed out of talks that were set last week and that the negotiations were therefore not conducted in good faith. Navarro made the remarks during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill,” according to The Hill.

Navarro’s comments come as the White House has continued to frame the trade dispute around tariffs and market access, including a series of White House releases that argue Canada has long used preferential access without sufficient reciprocal steps. One White House release published August 25, titled “President Trump Is Finally Ending Canada’s Free Ride,” described a prior U.S. offer of preferential market access and said Canada chose not to pursue cooperation after the discussions.

Separately, the White House has also addressed consumer cost pressure in Canada-linked supply chains through trade tools. A White House fact sheet dated August 26, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Further Ensures Affordable Beef for the American Consumer,” said President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to temporarily increase the quantity of lean beef trimmings imported with no above-quota tariff, citing supply challenges. The fact sheet described safeguards to manage the cost impact on U.S. consumers, and it positions the move as part of a broader effort to influence prices through tariff policy rather than domestic price controls.

While the trade fight draws attention to tariffs and market access, federal regulatory work continues on other Canada-facing decisions. On August 28, the Federal Register posted a notice related to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s review of an export license renewal application submitted by UniTech Services Group LLC. The NRC notice says UniTech is seeking renewal of an existing license authorizing export of radioactive waste to Canada and that the agency is providing an opportunity for public comment.

The juxtaposition highlights how disputes over economic terms can proceed alongside other government processes that do not depend on tariff negotiations. Federal Register procedures operate on set comment periods and agency review timelines, while tariff and market-access steps are carried out through executive-branch policy mechanisms and can evolve as negotiations advance or break down.

The Hill reported Navarro’s remarks in the context of tit-for-tat trade measures between the U.S. and Canada. With the most recent talks described by Navarro as falling apart, the next steps depend on whether negotiators resume discussions on concrete terms and whether additional adjustments follow in tariff policy.

In the near term, federal officials are also poised to take action on public input for the NRC export-license review. Meanwhile, the White House’s ongoing tariff framing suggests that trade talks, even when described as stalled or reversed, remain central to how both governments manage economic pressure and compliance expectations.