Canada has struck again towards the Trump administration’s tariffs on metal and aluminum, saying retaliatory measures on Wednesday that may impose new levies on $20.6 billion price of US imported items.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc declared that the Canadian authorities is responding with a “dollar-for-dollar” strategy, introducing a 25% tariff that’s set to take impact at 12:01 a.m. Jap Time on Thursday.
“These tariffs will target US steel products worth $8.8 billion, aluminum products worth $2 billion and a range of other imports including computers and sports equipment,” LeBlanc mentioned.
“Together we will do what we must to protect Canada’s economy.”
LeBlanc condemned the Trump administration’s transfer to put extra tariffs on Canadian imports — which was completed to counter Ontario’s choice so as to add a surcharge to vitality exports to a few US states.
“The US administration is once again inserting disruption and disorder into an incredibly successful trading partnership and raising the costs of everyday goods for Canadian and American households alike.”
The newest Canadian countermeasures add to the 25% tariffs Ottawa imposed on $30 billion price of US items on March 4.
These preliminary counter-tariffs had been enacted in response to President Donald Trump’s broad-based duties on Canadian imports.
Regardless of a brief exemption for sure merchandise issued by Trump on March 6 following a inventory market downturn, Canada has chosen to take care of its tariffs.
Trump’s metal and aluminum tariffs, set at 25%, weren’t unique to Canada however utilized to all international imports of the metals.
The European Union wasted no time in responding, saying its personal set of tariffs on greater than $28 billion price of US items, which is able to take impact in April.
The president on Wednesday gave the impression to be digging his heels in for an extended commerce battle with the EU.
“The European Union treats us very badly. They have for years,” Trump advised reporters within the Oval Workplace whereas sitting alongside the Irish prime minister, Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
“I had it out with them in my first term. … The European Union has been very tough, and it’s our turn, too. You know, we get a turn at that also, but they have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money.”
Trump mentioned that the EU’s counter-tariffs create “ill will,” including: “We’re going to be doing reciprocal tariffs. So whatever they charge us, we’re charging them. Nobody can complain about that.”
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t even matter what it is -— if they charge us, if they charge us 25 or 20%, or 10%, or 2%, or 200%, then that’s what we’re charging them. And so I don’t know why people get upset about that because there’s nothing more fair than that.”
On his Fact Social account on Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his intent to annex Canada and take up it into the US as its 51st state — a notion that Canadians reject out of hand.
“The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear,” Trump wrote on his social media account.
Canada’s International Affairs Minister Melanie Joly emphasised the broader significance of the commerce dispute.
“This is much more than about our economy. It is about the future of our country,” she mentioned at a Wednesday press convention. “Canadians have had enough, and we are a strong country.”
Looking for a diplomatic decision, a Canadian delegation led by Ontario Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to go to Washington on Thursday for commerce discussions with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Forward of the talks, Ford met with prime minister-designate Mark Carney, who is ready to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau within the coming weeks.
Trump has lengthy championed tariffs as a way of exerting financial leverage, defending home industries, and producing income.
Nonetheless, most economists warning that such measures threat disrupting provide chains, growing prices for customers and rattling monetary markets.
The president has provided shifting justifications for the commerce measures, fueling confusion about why the US is escalating financial tensions with key allies akin to Canada and Mexico.
In the meantime, Trump has intensified his verbal assaults on Canadian management, repeatedly floating the concept of Canada changing into the 51st US state — feedback which have infuriated many Canadians.
“The only constant in this unjustified and unjustifiable trade war seems to be President Trump’s talks of annexing our country through economic coercion,” Joly mentioned.
Trump bolstered his stance on Tuesday, threatening to double tariffs on Canadian metal and aluminum imports to 50%.
The transfer got here in response to Ford’s announcement that Ontario would impose a 25% surcharge on electrical energy exports to a few U.S. states as a retaliatory measure.
Trump on Wednesday walked again his menace after Ford indicated he would pause the electrical energy surcharge plan — signaling a brief cooling of tensions amid the continuing commerce standoff.
