Trump hits Canada with 50% tariffs; Carney vows to intensify negotiations

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that he spoke with US President Donald Trump and agreed to intensify trade negotiations after the United States announced it would impose an additional 50% tariff on some Canadian products.

Speaking to reporters outside his Ottawa office, Carney said the United States had announced new trade measures against Canada on Tuesday, calling it "the latest in a series of measures that directly violate" the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

"On Wednesday morning, I spoke with President Trump," he said. "We agreed to intensify negotiations over the coming weeks, and my team and I look forward to that."

Carney said the primary goal was "of course to reach a comprehensive agreement that benefits both countries," adding that such a deal would be consistent with the current CUSMA and any future version of it. On the possibility of the tariffs taking effect, he said Canada would "keep all options on the table" in formulating a response.

On Tuesday, Trump announced he would impose an additional 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The targeted products include wine, hockey sticks and cement. The tariffs take effect 30 days after Trump signs the proclamation.

Trump said the move was unrelated to the Canadian wildfire smoke threat he had previously raised. Speaking at the White House during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump said the tariffs were "a separate issue" from the Canadian wildfires, adding, "We're looking at that separately."

He also said, "They need us to survive. There's no way they can survive without us," while adding that "Canada has been very, very tough on us for over 50 years."

Earlier, Trump had argued that Canada should face additional tariffs after smoke from recent Canadian wildfires worsened air quality across the eastern United States. The Trump administration said the additional 50% tariffs on Canada were a response to what it described as Canada's discriminatory treatment of American products.