Canada hits back with 50% tariffs on US goods after trade talks collapse
Canada will impose tariffs of up to 50% on key US products starting September 8, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Saturday, following the collapse of bilateral trade talks with the Trump administration. The measures target steel, dairy, paper, agricultural machinery, and electronics, aiming to match Washington's earlier tariffs on nearly $20 billion in Canadian imports. Carney rejected the US offer as a "bad deal" that would limit Canada's trade sovereignty, stating "they demanded too much and offered too little." Carney accused Trump of starting a deliberate confrontation, saying "we were attacked," and cited threats against French language and Quebec culture. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned of retaliation, while Trump claimed Canada wanted state benefits without being a state. The dispute complicates T-MEC renewal, with Ottawa seeking to reduce its 70% export dependence on the US.