Isolated Trump leaves early as G7 summit fails to bridge divide

10/06/2018

After fierce negotiations, G7 leaders issue typical statement after US trade threats and tensions over tariff dispute

Jun 10, 2018

US President Donald Trump has pulled out of a joint statement negotiated by the leaders of seven advanced economies at a fractious G7 summit in Canada.

In their eight-page communique released on Saturday after two days of often fierce arguments, the leaders of the US, Germany, Britain, France, Japan, Italy and Canada vowed to tackle protectionism and cut trade barriers.

But the pledge did little to bridge a growing divide among the G7 partners following Trump‘s imposition of tariffs on its allies last week and a looming threat of a global trade war.

Trump left the meeting in the Quebec resort town of La Malbaie early to head to Singapore for a much-anticipated summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un on June 12.