Obama mocks Trump's tariff war with Canada at a Detroit rally

“These are the people who gave us Martin Short and maple syrup. They are the nicest people.”

— Barack Obama, former US president

Obama jokingly called Canada a “well-known evil empire” on Saturday. He said tariffs push prices up, because cars are built from parts that cross the border.

And us?

Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on many Canadian goods, including vehicles, in August, and Canada answered with counter-tariffs in September. Trump said Friday he will lift some of them at the end of the month.