Canada hits back at US with tariffs of up to 50 percent as Carney declares trade war

Canada has answered US tariffs with retaliatory duties reaching 50 percent, after Ottawa withdrew from negotiations and American tariffs took effect. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the response would follow a “dollar for dollar” principle.

The highest Canadian tariffs will apply to selected US dairy products, cosmetics and some building wood products. Duties on steel and aluminum will rise from 25 percent to 50 percent, as will tariffs on certain furniture and clothing. Other products, including household appliances, cheese and selected steel and aluminum goods, will face 25 percent tariffs. The government removed seafood from the list the day after the announcement, citing concerns from Canadian companies in the sector.

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dollar for dollar

Carney said Canada could not accept Washington’s proposals because they would have limited the country’s ability to sign new trade agreements, harmed key economic sectors and weakened protections for the French language. He said US negotiators “wanted too much and offered too little.”

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wanted too much and offered too little

The prime minister also said the tariffs had been designed to harm and divide Canada and the United States. He criticized what he described as Washington’s shifting justifications, which had included fentanyl, dairy import quotas and smoke from Canadian wildfires. The United States rejected Canada’s accusations, while Republican politicians backed President Donald Trump.

The article says Trump had cited US tariff laws from 1930 and 1962 when announcing tariffs on Canada, including measures involving steel, aluminum and copper. It also says that, after Canada announced its retaliation, Trump unilaterally changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”

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US tariffs were designed to harm Canada and divide us