Trump aluminium tariffs: Canada to impose retaliatory duties on US$2.7 billion worth of US goods
- Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland says countermeasures will be put in place by September 16
- Trump claims 10 per cent tax is to protect US industry from ‘surge’ in imports’, while Canada denies any impropriety
Canada will slap retaliatory tariffs on C$3.6 billion (US$2.7 billion) worth of US aluminium products after the United States said it would impose punitive measures on Canadian aluminium imports, a senior official said on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told a news conference the countermeasures would be put in place by September 16 to allow consultations with industry.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday moved to reimpose 10 per cent tariffs on some Canadian aluminium products to protect US industry from a “surge” in imports. Canada denies any impropriety.
“A trade dispute is the last thing anyone needs – it will only hurt an economic recovery on both sides of the border. However, this is what the US administration has chosen to do,” Freeland said.
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“We do not escalate and we do not back down,” she said later, describing the US decision as unjust and absurd.