The President of the United States responded on Sunday to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, following Ottawa’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on American steel and goods after Washington levied a 50% tariff on Canadian imports. The Canadian head of government, for his part, characterized the confrontation as a “war.”
“Canada wants the benefits of a state without being one!” declared the U.S. President on Sunday in a post on his network Truth Social, as friction intensifies following the breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Ottawa. “They have also imposed huge tariffs on our great farmers for many years. Enough!” added Donald Trump.
A day earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a series of counter-tariffs targeting American steel, dairy products, household appliances, electronics, agricultural equipment, and paper. The retaliatory package represents a “dollar-for-dollar” response to incoming U.S. 50% tariffs on Canadian items, including cement and hockey sticks.
“The United States Asked Too Much and Offered Too Little”
“At the last moment, the United States attempted to add provisions restricting our ability to enter into other trade agreements,” Mark Carney charged.
“There was another American assault on Canada. There is an attack, we attack back, in a war,” stated the leader of the Canadian government when asked by Le Devoir whether the nation was now locked in an “all-out trade war,” as reported by the Quebec daily.
In the immediate aftermath, the Trump administration signaled its intention to counter the Canadian countermeasures. “We are moving forward with measures that address Canadian retaliation,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer declared during an interview with Fox News, emphasizing that no further negotiation rounds with Canada are currently scheduled.