Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held urgent talks with US President Donald Trump, trying to avoid new American tariffs on Canadian goods, as only a few hours remain until midnight when the tariffs are due to take effect. Ottawa confirmed this information on Tuesday. Tariffs of 50% will apply in a few hours and will cover goods such as wine, hockey sticks, and cement.
Trump signed orders to impose these 50 percent tariffs last month. The White House accuses Canada of “discriminatory treatment” of American alcoholic beverages, automobiles, and dairy products. The tariffs are scheduled for Wednesday, and negotiations to cancel them continue up to the last moment.
Negotiations and economic impact
According to a representative of the Canadian leader, Carney spoke by phone with Trump on Monday afternoon about trade talks. That same day, Carney said the negotiations to prevent the tariffs are at an “intensive and delicate” stage.
According to Oxford Economics, Trump’s new tariffs affect about 5.5% of Canada’s exports to the US, worth roughly 20 billion US dollars.
Source: South China Morning Post
