Escalating tensions with Canada, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he will raise the tariffs to 35% on all goods imported from Canada. The new tariff rate will begin on August 1. The letter, addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, increases the earlier 25% tariff that Trump announced in February. Trump claimed that the move is meant to pressure Canada into doing more to stop fentanyl smuggling, even though the amount coming from Canada is not very high.
Responding to Trump’s tariffs and letter, Carney took to X and wrote, “Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1.”
Apart from mentioning Canada’s high tariffs on US dairy farms in his letter, Trump highlighted that they had not done enough to stop the flow of fentanyl across the US-Canada border.
Reacting to this, Carney added in his post that Canada had made “vital progress” to help stop the spread of fentanyl in North America. He said that the Canadian administration will keep working with the United States to save lives and keep communities safe in both countries.
Carney further added that they are building Canada “strong”. “The federal government, provinces and territories are making significant progress in building one Canadian economy. We are poised to build a series of major new projects in the national interest. We are strengthening our trading partnerships throughout the world,” he added in his X post.