Canada announces detailed counter tariff package against US

Ottawa: The Canadian federal government has announced a detailed tariff package after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed that Canada will not back down from a fight against the trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump.

According to a news statement issued on Tuesday by the Finance Ministry, the first phase of Canada’s response includes tariffs on 30 billion Canadian dollars (about $21 billion) in goods imported from the US, effective as of 12:01 a.m., March 4.

The list includes products such as orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics, and certain pulp and paper products, Xinhua news agency reported.

The additional countermeasures on 125 billion Canadian dollars (about $89 billion) in imports from the US would be from a list of goods open for a 21-day comment period which includes products such as electric vehicles, fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy, electronics, steel, aluminum, trucks, and buses, the statement said.

The government is also taking steps to mitigate the impact of these countermeasures on Canadian workers and businesses by establishing a remission process to consider requests for exceptional relief from the tariffs, the statement added. All options remain on the table as the government considers additional measures, including non-tariff options, the statement said.

Trudeau said during his speech to the nation earlier on Tuesday that Canada will also be challenging the US illegal actions by filing dispute resolution claims at the World Trade Organisation and through the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement, or the free trade mechanism in North America that was renegotiated by Trump in his last term.

The counter tariffs will remain in place until the US tariffs are withdrawn and not a moment sooner, Trudeau added.

The Canadian PM told a press conference on Tuesday that there is no justification for the trade war Canada and the US are entangled in and Canada will challenge Trump’s moves. (IANS)

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