Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced retaliatory tariffs on the United States after Washington imposed a 50 percent levy on $20bn worth of Canadian goods.
Carney, speaking in Ottawa on Saturday, said the new Canadian tariffs would target US steel, dairy and electronics industries, among others, and take effect on September 8.
“Canada will match Washington’s new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses,” Carney told reporters.
“Canada will match Washington's new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.”
The announcement came after days of intense negotiations broke down late on Friday, worsening a delicate relationship between the longtime trade partners and allies.
US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs hit sectors including wine, furniture, dairy products, cement, clothing, fishing rods and hockey equipment, and cover some $20bn worth of goods, or 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the US.
Trump responded to Carney’s announcement, saying on Truth Social, “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” He claimed Canada has also charged US farmers “massive amounts” of tariffs for years, and added, “No more!!!”
Carney is one of the few global leaders to retaliate against US tariffs and has pledged to forge new trade and military alliances, despite Canada’s dependence on the US for nearly 70 percent of its exports.
In Ottawa on Saturday, Carney said the talks with the US broke down after Trump set conditions that were ultimately unacceptable, even though earlier talks had been positive.
“In recent days, the United States proposed new terms that were uneconomic, unfair and undermined the net benefits for Canada, and called into question the reliability of any deal,” Carney said, adding these demands included curtailing Canada’s ability to forge new trade deals.
