The Canadian government has responded with retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of US goods after Washington slapped major duties on Canadian products. The new tariffs imposed by Ottawa will target the American steel industry, farm equipment, and dairy goods, among other imports.
Imposed on Tuesday, the Canadian counter-tariffs will range from 15% to 50%, and will cover a wide range of commodities from the US, among them wood and paper products, textiles, seafood, appliances, and dairy goods.
“When the United States of America asked too much and offered too little, we made a choice. We chose Canada,” Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said at a Tuesday news conference. “We did not choose this conflict, but when our economic integration is used as a weapon rather than the foundation for a win-win partnership, we need to stand up,”
The move came days after the Trump administration hiked tariffs on Canadian goods over the weekend. Just hours before Canada’s announcement, Trump took to social media to accuse the country of “ripping off” American farmers and harming US businesses.
Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs will take effect on September 8, the most significant of which will target US steel and aluminum products at 50%, doubling the previous duties. Canada also announced a $7.5-billion aid package to assist domestic businesses affected by the US penalties.
Washington and Ottawa have sparred during recent trade talks, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accusing the US of trying to dominate Canada in the negotiations, saying the Trump administration sought to “destroy our major industries.” President Trump escalated the spat on Monday, demanding that Canada “fall in line,” or else face “far WORSE” tariffs, vowing new 50% duties on Canadian vehicles, auto parts, and steel.
In another act of retaliation, Trump has vowed to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” saying his administration has given “serious consideration” to the symbolic move. The threat mirrors Trump’s previous proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario any longer,” the US president said in a Truth Social post.
Will Porter is assistant news editor and book editor at the Libertarian Institute, and a regular contributor at Antiwar.com. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.
