The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney for reversing his stance by agreeing to reduce trade barriers with China, which strengthens President Donald Trump's tariff threats against Canada. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that on Sunday Mr. Bessent said: "The Canadians a few months ago joined the U.S. in putting high steel tariffs on China because the Chinese are dumping. The Europeans also have done the same thing. And it looks like that [Mr.] Carney may have done some kind of about-face." Canada has agreed to reduce tariffs on 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to 6 per cent, eliminating a 100-per-cent surtax to improve relations with Beijing. Mr. Carney anticipates that China will also lower tariffs on Canadian canola following a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Mr. Trump and officials have condemned the bilateral agreement, warning of potential consequences, including extra tariffs on Canadian goods, complicating the upcoming renegotiation of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) this summer. Mr. Bessent warned that Canada could face 100-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. if it signs a free-trade agreement with China.