Canada Hits Back! Tariffs on $12.6 Billion in U.S. Goods

Canada retaliated Sunday for U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum by inaugurating tariffs on $12.6 billion in U.S. goods.

The Associated Press reported: “Some U.S. products, mostly steel and iron, face 25 percent tariffs, the same penalty the United States slapped on imported steel at the end of May. Other U.S. imports, from ketchup to pizza to dishwasher detergent, will face a 10 percent tariff at the Canadian border, the same as America’s tax on imported aluminum.”

UPI added: “The new tariffs place a 25 percent tax on more than 40 U.S. steel products and a tax of 10 percent on more than 80 other items such as toffee, maple syrup, coffee beans and strawberry jam.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked the occasion with an announcement celebrating Canadian workers, as Canada observed Canada Day, its 151st anniversary:

We’re 37 million – strong in our differences, proud of our diversity, and united by our dreams. From one generation to the next, Canadians have brought our country’s promise to life, with hard work, bold vision, and determination. They’ve grown the strong middle class at the heart of our success – and today, Canada’s workers are the backbone of our country.

Canada’s workers build the roads and bridges that get us to work on time and back home again. They put food on the table for families from coast to coast to coast. Some are young people starting their career, or newcomers bringing fresh talent to the workforce.

From Ontario steel to Quebec aluminum, from agriculture and the energy sector in the Prairies and the North, to forestry in British Columbia and fisheries in the Atlantic, Canadians get the job done – and build our communities along the way.

We know we can count on Canadians. We stand with each other, and we will always stand up for each other. Canada’s success has always come from its people – lifting each other up, one community at a time.

President Donald Trump has often found Trudeau a useful foil — most recently last month, as he slammed Trudeau for criticizing him after he had left the G-7 conference in Canada for his summit with North Korea in Singapore.

Trudeau and Trump reportedly spoke by phone on Friday.

Also Sunday, Axios reported that legislation had been drafted, at President Trump’s request, that would effectively nullify World Trade Organization (WTO) rules by allowing the U.S. to implement tariffs at will. The apparent goal of the “United States Fair and Reciprocal Tariff Act” would be to increase American leverage in trade relations and create what Trump has described as a more level playing field.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.