Canada Hits Back At US Tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Saturday that Canada would match Washington’s new tariffs ‘dollar for dollar’, after Ottawa walked away from trade talks with the United States on Friday.
“We cannot accept what they’ve offered, and we will not give what they’ve asked,” Carney said during a press conference in Ottawa.
Carney accused the Trump administration of violating its commitments under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) through a series of tariffs.
“Canada will match Washington’s new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses,” he warned.
“We take this step reluctantly. Reluctantly because we recognise that some of these measures will raise costs and reduce choice for Canadians,” he added.
Carney confirmed details of Canada’s retaliatory tariffs would be released in the coming days, taking effect on the Tuesday after Labour Day.
“The new US tariffs are designed to hurt us and divide us. They’re a miscalculation,” he said.
“We’ve been under no illusions. We recognised from the start that America has changed. Early last year, in this room, I observed that the decades-long process of steadily increasing integration between our economies was over,” Carney added.
Trade Talks Collapse
The latest 50 per cent US tariffs took effect early on Saturday after the two countries failed to reach a deal before the deadline. Carney suspended negotiations on Friday and recalled Canada’s negotiating team to Ottawa, blaming ‘last-minute changes’ to US proposals.
Carney also rejected Trump’s claims that Canada had been ‘ripping them off’, pointing to Canadian energy’s role in powering the US economy.
Canada supplies 99 per cent of US natural gas imports, 85 per cent of its electricity imports and 60 per cent of its crude oil imports, according to Carney.
“While the United States has imposed a seemingly endless stream of tariffs and threatened more, Canada has, by contrast, taken several steps in good faith to try to find compromise and secure a comprehensive deal in the best interests of both Canadians and Americans,” he added.
The tariffs target billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian goods, from hockey equipment and clothing to cement and beer.
US-Canada Trade Tensions
Earlier in the week, Trump claimed the two sides had reached what was ‘going to be a wonderful deal’, after what he described as a ‘very good conversation’ with Carney. Washington then delayed the 50 per cent tariffs until August 21 to give negotiators more time.
The clash follows a series of trade disputes between the two countries. In 2025, the US imposed a 25 per cent tariff on most Canadian imports and 10 per cent on energy. Canada responded with counter-tariffs, while both sides later adjusted or paused some measures during negotiations.
Article by Viory
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