The United States has announced a new 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Canadian imports, escalating a trade dispute with one of its largest trading partners.
According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the tariffs will apply to approximately 20 billion dollars’ worth of imports from Canada, including products such as hockey sticks, wine and cement.
The new tariffs are scheduled to take effect on August 19, 30 days after President Donald Trump signs the proclamation authorising the measure.
The White House said the decision was taken in response to what it described as Canada’s “discriminatory, unequal and unreasonable tariff scheme,” adding that the move is intended to create better conditions for exports of U.S.-made automobiles.
The latest action marks another escalation in the long-running trade dispute between the two neighbouring countries.
President Trump has consistently accused Canada and several other trading partners of maintaining unfair trade practices against the United States, making tariffs a central feature of his second-term trade policy.
In response, the Canadian government said the new tariffs violate the free trade agreement between both countries.
The announcement also follows a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which barred the Trump administration from using emergency powers to impose broad tariffs on imports from multiple countries, compelling the administration to pursue alternative legal mechanisms for its trade measures.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reacted to the development in a statement, saying Canada remains ready to engage with the United States to resolve outstanding trade issues in a manner that benefits citizens of both countries.
He also pledged that Canada would continue taking necessary steps to strengthen its domestic economy in response to the latest trade measures.
The latest tariffs come amid continuing tensions between Washington and Ottawa, with President Trump having previously threatened additional tariffs on Canada, including over smoke from Canadian wildfires that drifted into the northeastern United States.
The new measures are expected to have significant implications for bilateral trade, affecting billions of dollars in goods exchanged annually between the two countries.
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