Topline
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he will impose a 35% tariff on goods imported from Canada starting August 1, in a move that will likely escalate trade tensions with the northern neighbor, as he accused the country’s leadership of failing to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and criticized its “Trade Barriers.”
US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney informing him of the … More
Key Facts
In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a letter addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney informing him about the 35% tariff, which is an increase from the 25% levy Trump had first imposed on Canada in March.
In the letter, Trump blamed “Canada’s failure to stop the drugs from pouring into our Country” as the reason for the earlier tariffs and said, “Instead of working with the United States, Canada retaliated with its own Tariffs.”
Trump’s letter warned that if Canada “for any reason” raises its tariffs on U.S. goods, “whatever the number you choose to raise them by,” will be added to the 35%.
Aside from the alleged fentanyl flow, Trump also blamed the steep levy on Canada’s tariff and non-tariff policies and trade barriers, and wrote that the U.S.’s trade deficit with Canada was a threat to the U.S. economy and National Security.
The president ended his letter saying that he will consider adjusting the tariff rate if Canada works with him to “stop the flow of Fentanyl,” and they may be “modified, upward or downward” based on the country’s relationship with the U.S.
This is a developing story.