Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will introduce retaliatory tariffs on US imports beginning September 8, following the failure of trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington.
The announcement came hours after the United States imposed 50 percent tariffs on nearly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Carney said Canada’s response would be “focused” and include tariffs on a range of American products, including steel, dairy products, household appliances, agricultural equipment, paper and electronics.
He said Canada had made every effort to reach an agreement that would protect Canadian workers and strengthen the country’s economy, but the United States had demanded too much while offering too little.
According to Carney, Washington introduced new demands at the final stage of negotiations, including restrictions related to automobile imports and Canada’s ability to establish trade agreements with other countries.
The Canadian leader also criticised what he described as shifting US justifications for the tariffs, pointing to previous references by President Donald Trump to issues including drug trafficking, television advertisements and wildfire smoke.
The latest tariffs follow weeks of tense negotiations between the two neighbouring countries. Talks continued for several days after an earlier deadline was postponed, but negotiators failed to reach a final agreement before the revised deadline expired.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Saturday that there were currently no further negotiations planned with Canada and that Washington would take additional measures in response to Canada’s retaliatory tariffs.
Carney said Canada would respond by strengthening trade ties with other countries and reducing its dependence on the United States.
“We can’t control the storm that blows in from Washington,” Carney said, adding that Canada could instead build a stronger economy and diversify its international trading relationships.
Asked whether his remarks suggested Canada was heading into a trade war with the United States, Carney responded: “You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked.”
The escalating dispute threatens to further strain relations between the two longtime allies and major trading partners.
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