The tariff response of Canada against the United States comes into effect this Tuesday, September 8, so a wide range of U.S. exports will begin to bear surcharges upon their arrival in the Canadian market, in a context where the relationship between the two neighboring countries continues to deteriorate due to the increasingly aggressive tone of President Donald Trump.
The new rates include levies of between 15% and 50% on products related to steel and aluminum, in addition to basic consumer goods such as dairy, fish, or seafood. In total, they will be applied to a volume of 27.6 billion Canadian dollars (about 17 billion euros), as a direct countermeasure to the tariffs previously imposed by Washington.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, has emphasized that Toronto's reaction does not seek to escalate the clash with the United States, although he has pointed out that the stage of close integration and economic cooperation with its southern neighbor is behind and that now the country faces a different scenario, according to a video released by the Canadian government.
"We are stronger now than when the United States started this trade war a year and a half ago. More united, more determined, more ambitious. Our exports outside the United States have increased significantly and are expected to double in the next decade," Carney argued.
Still, the Canadian leader has admitted that the national economy must adjust to this new framework and that this adaptation involves sacrifices, although, in his opinion, they will be less than the "costs of inaction." "This is about who we are as Canadians. It is about our livelihood and the country we will leave behind," he stated.
The relationship of goods affected by the tariffs includes more than 800 categories, among them a 15% levy on hand tools, air conditioning machines, forklifts, harvesters, and industrial robots.
A 25% tariff will also be applied to imports of various species of fish, mollusks, and crustaceans from the U.S.; to different types of cheese; to wood products, as well as to paper, cardboard, and toilet paper.
Furthermore, a 50% tax will be imposed on purchases of milk and cream; honey and molasses; perfumes and colognes; beauty products, makeup, and hair care; kitchen utensils and other household items; personal hygiene or grooming items; as well as clothing for men and women, including t-shirts, coats, sweaters, and pants.
A Trump increasingly belligerent
In the initial stages of the negotiation, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, was confident in closing a deal with Toronto, even describing his conversations with Carney as "productive" and implying that the agreement was almost done. However, after Canada's rejection, the tone of the president hardened to the point of signing an executive order that renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America.
"Canada will no longer be treated as a State! In terms of trade, and in other aspects, they are among the worst nations in the world to deal with," asserted the American president on social media shortly after the negotiations blew up.
In retaliation, Trump announced that he would increase tariffs on cars, trucks, automotive components, and steel of Canadian origin to 50% starting January 1, 2027.
The occupant of the White House has even hinted in social media posts that Canada should integrate into the United States, a tactic already used in the past with other countries, in one of the most tense episodes between the two nations in recent years.