US President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs of up to 50% on selected imports from Canada, raising concerns over a potential trade dispute between the two long-time allies and major trading partners.
According to CNN, the tariffs will apply to several Canadian products, including electrical equipment and machinery, marking one of the highest tariff rates imposed by the Trump administration on any country.
The White House said the tariffs will take effect within 30 days and will affect approximately US$20 billion (RM81.3 billion) worth of Canadian imports.
Trump said the move was made under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the US President to impose tariffs of up to 50% on countries deemed to discriminate against American goods.
However, reports noted that the provision has never previously been used for such a purpose.
Trump had earlier threatened tariffs on Canada over smoke from wildfires that blanketed parts of the northern United States.
However, US administration officials clarified that the latest tariffs are unrelated to the wildfire smoke issue.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford swiftly called on Canada to respond if the tariffs proceed.
“If these tariffs move forward, Canada must respond with tariffs for tariffs, dollar for dollar,” Ford wrote in a post on X.
The latest move is expected to further strain trade relations between Washington and Ottawa, despite the two countries maintaining one of the world’s largest bilateral trading partnerships.
