U.S. Slaps 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods After Talks Collapse

Washington has imposed 50-percent tariffs on Canadian goods — and Ottawa has promised to hit back.

The United States and Canada failed to reach new trade agreements. According to the American representative, Ottawa rejected a Washington proposal that would have given Canada favorable terms.

The Canadian prime minister, for his part, said the United States introduced changes at the last moment that he described as “unfair and uneconomic.” As a result, the United States again imposed 50-percent tariffs on a number of Canadian products, after which Ottawa pledged retaliatory tariffs.

Media note that the duties will affect only 5 percent of the $382 billion in bilateral trade. Nevertheless, they risk undermining the preservation of a single North American trade space.