US and Canada Impose Mutual Retaliatory Tariffs... "If Attacked, a War Begins"

Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have ultimately broken down after failing to narrow their differences, signaling severe and potentially irreparable friction between the two nations as they exchange retaliatory tariffs.

Starting at midnight local time on the 22nd, the Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on approximately 20 billion dollars worth of Canadian imports.

The targeted items include certain dairy products, alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, hockey equipment, machinery, textiles, cement, and furniture.

In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to levy retaliatory tariffs of the same scale starting September 8 on American steel, dairy products, home appliances, agricultural machinery, and pulp.

Prime Minister Carney declared a hardline response, stating, "If you are attacked, a war begins, and we have been attacked."

Although both sides reportedly made significant progress until the final moments, the negotiations ultimately collapsed due to backlash from some domestic U.S. industries and hardliners within the Trump administration, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The clash appeared to center around steel, aluminum, automobiles, and related auto parts.

Prime Minister Carney emphasized that the U.S. pushed forward with last-minute conditions such as weakening Canada's measures to protect its French-language culture and restricting trade negotiations with other countries, calling it "a struggle for power and an issue of sovereignty."

This indicated that the tariff items were not the sole source of conflict.

Through social media, President Trump claimed, "Canada wants the benefits of being a U.S. state without actually becoming a state. For a long time, they have imposed massive tariffs on our great farmers. No more."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.