Rachkov: Trump's Tariffs on Canada Are Economic Coercion

US President Donald Trump is again threatening to impose tariffs on countries. This will primarily affect Canada, where the American leader is threatening to impose 50% tariffs.

The true reasons for the tariffs were discussed with Sergei Rachkov, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, in the Actual Interview.

According to the interviewee, Trump's move must be considered from two perspectives: economic and political. On the one hand, the previous tariffs imposed on many countries, including Canada, are expiring, so legally they must either be extended or repealed. Among the political reasons is Trump's use of tariff policy to divert public attention from unsuccessful steps—the situation in the Persian Gulf and America's military action against Iran, where it is failing to achieve its objectives.

"Furthermore, midterm elections to the US Congress are approaching, so something needs to be done. The legal deadlines for extending or introducing new tariffs have just passed. At the same time, attention will shift from the situation in the Middle East," the source believes.

According to experts, the tariffs will affect $20 billion worth of Ottawa's goods. Besides the economic factor, there's also a moral one. It's not very pleasant when your neighbor and ally pursues exclusively its own economic interests. The dispute itself stems from Canadian support for their own producer. They are blocking certain goods, including American wine from California, from entering the market. "Trump got angry and vented his emotions through economic means, which is why there's no great friendship between the allies either," said the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.

The distribution of tariffs is also interesting: Canada will receive 50%, Brazil 25%, and China and the UK between 10% and 12.5%. A total of 60 countries are included in the tariff list, including allies from the European Union.

"The variations depend on the ongoing bilateral trade negotiations with the United States. In America, trade representatives play a significant role, and their office is crucial. Of course, politics is also involved. If a country doesn't yield to US influence, the tariff may increase," explained Sergei Rachkov.

Basically, this is economic coercion, which is one of the reasons for using tariff policy.