US President Donald Trump has announced new import bans and 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods, escalating tensions between the two countries. The move comes a day after Ottawa's retaliatory tariffs on US products took effect.
The White House said Canadian dairy products, motorcycles, and alcoholic beverages will face import bans in the United States, while other goods, including mattresses, motorboats, and golf carts, will be hit with 50% tariffs. The import ban is scheduled to take effect on September 29, while tariffs will start on September 15.
These actions follow Canada's imposition of retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on about $20 billion (€17.2 billion) of US goods on Monday, in response to Washington's earlier decision to levy 50% tariffs on selected Canadian imports.
A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that President Trump is doing this to "ensure a level playing field, deter retaliation, and protect American production." The official also criticized provincial boycotts of US alcohol as "discriminatory."
Trump also directed the US General Services Administration to exclude Canadian products from long-term government procurement contracts unless Ottawa restores what he called "full and fair reciprocity" for American farmers and companies. Additionally, he threatened to block Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier from selling planes in the US unless it manufactures them domestically.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country would accelerate efforts to reduce its dependence on the US. "It's about ensuring that no country can hold us hostage," he said. Canadians are also irked by Trump's repeated references to their country as the 51st US state and his order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
The trade war casts a shadow over the future of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as nearly 68% of Canadian exports head to the US, with about 80% entering duty-free. This has prompted Ottawa to explore deeper ties with the European Union, with Carney scheduled to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week.
Source: www.dw.com