US imposes 50% tariffs on $20bn worth of Canadian goods after talks fail

What the report says

The United States has imposed 50 percent tariffs on more than $20bn worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between Washington and Ottawa failed to produce a deal, Al Jazeera reported. The move followed three days of negotiations in Washington, DC, and came as a deadline set by US President Donald Trump expired at midnight on Saturday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs “dollar for dollar” and pledged additional support in the coming days for workers and businesses affected by the dispute. According to Al Jazeera, Carney said progress had been made in recent weeks, but not enough to meet Canada’s objectives.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the breakdown, saying Ottawa declined to finalize an agreement under terms previously discussed. He said the US had offered Canada preferential treatment compared with other major exporters, but that new demands and reversals by Canada disrupted the arrangement.

The new tariffs affect about 5 percent of Canadian imports into the US and add to existing US duties on Canadian steel, lumber and autos. The latest step extends an ongoing tariff fight that has escalated repeatedly since Trump returned to office and introduced earlier trade measures, with Canada repeatedly answering with countermeasures.