Washington: President Donald Trump imposed an additional 50 per cent tariff on hundreds of Canadian products, accusing Ottawa of discriminating against American exports of automobiles, alcoholic beverages and dairy products, in a major escalation of trade tensions between the two North American neighbours.
Invoking Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Trump signed three separate proclamations imposing the new duties on selected Canadian imports. The White House said the action was aimed at offsetting “the burden and disadvantage on US commerce from Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US commerce” and “levelling the playing field” for American exports, particularly cars, alcohol and dairy products.
According to the White House, the tariffs will take effect 30 days after signing and will apply regardless of whether goods qualify for preferential treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The measures will not cover energy, potash, products already subject to Section 232 tariffs, fish, critical minerals and certain other specified goods.
The administration said the new tariffs cover a broad range of Canadian imports, including products ranging from wine and hockey sticks to cement and consumer goods. The accompanying annexes list hundreds of tariff classifications that will be subject to the additional 50 per cent duty.
The White House said Canada had maintained policies that discriminated against American exporters while giving more favourable treatment to other trading partners.
It said Canada imposed tariffs and quota restrictions on US motor vehicles that were not applied to imports from other countries and administered quotas in a manner that encouraged American manufacturers to invest in Canadian production instead of expanding facilities in the United States. (IANS)
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