Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada failed late Friday, clearing the way for the implementation of the 50% tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on about 20 billion dollars worth of Canadian products, after Ottawa refused to close a deal it considered unfavorable. The tariff came into effect from midnight Saturday, according to Reuters.
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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the failure of the talks and stated that Ottawa refused to close the deal on the terms that Washington said had been agreed upon earlier in the week. “Tonight, Canada refused to finalize the trade agreement on the terms agreed earlier this week,” Greer said in a statement released Friday.
Greer said the United States had offered Canada “the best possible deal among the major exporters to our market,” but maintained that the new demands made by Ottawa and the failure to meet other commitments “have disrupted the carefully established agreement.” Washington’s statement came after negotiations extended late Friday without both countries reaching an agreement to prevent the new tariffs from taking effect.
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Just hours before the talks failed, Trump had expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Canada. Negotiations had progressed during the week to the point that the president had postponed the implementation of the new 50% tariffs to give more time to the negotiating teams.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country had made significant progress during the talks, but that last-minute changes proposed by the United States prevented closing an acceptable deal. According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, the new tariffs affect imports from Canada worth about 20 billion dollars and cover diverse products such as hockey sticks, some building materials, alcoholic beverages, and certain types of clothing. Carney warned that Canada will respond immediately to the U.S. tariffs and assured that Ottawa will match them “dollar for dollar” to protect its workers and businesses.