Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney has dubbed the fresh U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods a “miscalculation” that aims to “hurt and divide us.” The comments came after last‑night talks between the two countries collapsed amid mutual accusations of last‑minute changes and unfair terms.
Carney said Canada walked away from a deal because it would have required compromising the nation’s sovereign rights. He added: “They asked too much and they offered too little.”
The prime minister announced that Canada will match the U.S. tariffs “dollar‑for‑dollar” from 8 September. The duties target steel, dairy, appliances and electronics – sectors already hit by U.S. levies on Canadian steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.
Carney stressed that the Canadian response is “reluctant” but necessary to protect national interests. He added that details of the counter‑measures would be released in the coming days.
The trade conference’s collapse follows more than a year of back‑and‑forth talks and an intense review of the North American free‑trade agreement, USMCA, with Mexico. Earlier this summer, Canada and Mexico had formally requested a renewed 16‑year deal – a proposal that the United States ultimately declined to extend in its current form.
Carney added that the failure of this week’s talks is “certainly not good news” for the broader North American economic partnership. He reminded Canadians that tariffs remain a key pillar of Trump’s trade strategy, purportedly to boost local manufacturing and create jobs.
Critics, however, argue that such tariffs raise consumer prices and disturb global supply chains. The current escalation signals a potentially protracted trade dispute, with significant implications for both governments and the industries that span the U.S.–Canada border.
