Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the United States’ new wave of tariffs on Canadian goods a “miscalculation” that will “hurt and divide” both countries.
In a speech to Canadians on Saturday morning, Carney reiterated that the tariff rollout would be dollar‑for‑dollar starting 8 September, covering steel, dairy, appliances and electronics.
He blamed the collapse of trade talks on “last‑minute changes” that the U.S. made, accusing Washington of pressing an unfair and uneconomic “price‑fight.”
Negotiations had stalled after the U.S. threatened further tariffs if a deal was not struck by the end of the week. Both sides accused each other of walking back commitments.
With the talks ending, Canada will face roughly 50 % U.S. tariffs on a broad range of goods, in addition to existing duties on steel, aluminium, vehicles and lumber.
Carney said the country would retaliate “reluctantly” and promised that details of Canada’s counter‑measures would be released soon.
The disagreement follows Canada’s attempt earlier in the year to renew the US‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA) for an extra 16 years, which the U.S. declined to extend in its current form.
