U.S. trade chief warns Canada against matching tariffs with retaliation
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States will not passively accept any further Canadian retaliation after Ottawa announced it would mirror U.S. tariffs dollar-for-dollar.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters that the United States will not simply sit back if Canada proceeds with reciprocal tariff measures, urging Ottawa not to retaliate. He refuted the Canadian narrative that sudden U.S. demands caused the collapse of their pending trade agreement, insisting instead that Canadian negotiators raised new implementation issues that stalled the talks. Greer highlighted that the proposed deal was "the best deal available to any country on the planet" and that the additional Canadian requests were beyond what the United States could accommodate.
He noted that he and Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc are not currently in communication and that the Canadian side is considering its next steps. The timeline for restarting negotiations was left undefined, and Greer emphasized the need for both parties to avoid further escalation.
Why it matters
The exchange could spark a trade war affecting North American economies and consumers.
How this story developed
- Aug 11 Canadian trade minister meets U.S. counterpart again as tariff deadline looms
- Aug 25 Canada is preparing a counter‑tariff schedule to be unveiled in early September.
- Aug 25 Canada announced counter-tariffs of up to 50% on roughly $27.6 billion of American goods, raising duties on items such as dairy, cosmetics and steel.
- Aug 25 Republican lawmakers have publicly criticized Trump’s tariffs and the proposed tariff‑free meat imports.
- Aug 25 Canada announced retaliatory tariffs to begin on Sept 8.
- Aug 25 Canada added a C$7.5 billion financing package to help firms and workers cope with the new tariffs.
- Aug 25 Canada announced it will impose counter‑tariffs in early September.
- Aug 25 Ford said Canada could consider using electricity, critical minerals and fuel as leverage.
- Aug 26 White House official said the Trump administration is weighing extra trade sanctions in response to Canada’s counter‑tariffs.
- Aug 26 President Trump posted a proposal to rename Lake Ontario.
- Aug 26 President Trump said U.S. tariffs on Canadian automobiles will double next year.
- Aug 26 Canada announced retaliatory duties of up to 50% on hundreds of U.S. products to start on Sept 8.
- Aug 26 Retailers have begun removing U.S. wines and spirits from shelves as part of the boycott campaign.
- Aug 27 The United States added a 50% tariff on Canadian spirits, wine and beer.
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