U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Aug. 21 that new tariffs on Canadian imports will take effect as the two nations have failed to reach a trade deal.
“Despite the U.S. offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market, new demands and walk-backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days,” he added.
The new 50 percent tariffs on Canadian imports took effect on Aug. 22 at 12:01 a.m. ET.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he has suspended trade negotiations with the United States and directed his negotiators to return to Ottawa after concluding that the talks did not meet Canada’s objectives.
“However, last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal,” he added.
Carney said Canada would respond to U.S. tariffs with matching tariffs “dollar for dollar” to protect Canadian workers and businesses.
He said his government recognized that “America has changed” and that the two nations “will not return to our old relationship.”
U.S. President Donald Trump last month issued proclamations to impose 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian goods by Aug. 19, but later paused the tariffs for three days.
