SerpApi.Org
Late Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on most Canadian goods, stating that Canada unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol, and dairy products.
According to the Associated Press, the move could usher in economic chaos, with risks of inflation and adding tension between two nations that previously had a congenial relationship.
The administration official who shared the news said that Canada was one of the only nations, other than China, that retaliated against Trump's previous tariffs and must be held accountable.
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The official insisted on anonymity when speaking on the president's actions and added that Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.
Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section, because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy. The 50% tariffs would exclude energy products, potash, fish, and critical minerals, but they would include goods that had previously been protected from import taxes by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
That 2020 trade pact recently expired and triggered a new set of negotiations that could run until 2036. The White House official said that Trump had requested that his aides look into additional tariffs on Canada because its wildfires hurt air quality in the U.S.
President Trump has revealed he confronted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Sunday's World Cup Final over the smoke drifting into the States from wildfires, telling him: "Our air's being poisoned."
Trump recounted their exchange at Joint Base Andrews when he returned to Washington from the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey. Trump, as well as Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, were present. Together, they represented the three host nations.
"It went good, but I told him, you got to stop these fires from coming in and poisoning our air," the president said of his interaction with Carney.
"Our air has been poisoned. I have a good relationship with Mark Carney, but you know, we got to stop the fires up there," he added. "If we can help them, we'll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs. But it was terrible. I mean, you had businesses closing."
Trump threatened Canada with higher tariffs Friday, according to the Independent.
On Truth Social, he wrote: "We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable."
"Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal. This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying."
