US imposes 50 percent tariffs on $20bn in Canadian goods after talks fail..
The United States has imposed 50 percent tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between the two countries failed to produce a final agreement following three days of talks in Washington, DC.
The tariffs took effect at 12:01am Eastern Time (04:01 GMT) on Saturday after a deadline set by US President Donald Trump expired without a deal.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would respond by matching the new US tariffs “dollar for dollar”.
“In recent weeks, we made important progress toward improving Canada’s position as having the best deal in the world with the US,” Carney said in a statement. “However, that progress has not been enough to meet our objectives for Canadians.”
Carney also said his government would introduce new measures in the coming days to support Canadian workers and businesses affected by the trade dispute.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the breakdown in negotiations, calling it “a missed opportunity for Canada to partner with the United States”.
Greer said Canada had declined to finalise the trade agreement under terms reached earlier in the week, accusing Ottawa of making new demands and reversing previous commitments.
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The new tariffs will affect roughly 5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, including electronics, industrial machinery and dairy products. They come on top of existing US tariffs on Canadian steel, lumber and automobiles.