Trump Threatens New Canada Tariffs by Aug. 19 as USMCA Disputes Push Talks to Cliff
Updated
Updated · The Globe and Mail · Aug 16
Trump Threatens New Canada Tariffs by Aug. 19 as USMCA Disputes Push Talks to Cliff
3 articles · Updated · The Globe and Mail · Aug 16
Summary
Aug. 19 is Trump’s deadline for imposing sweeping new tariffs on Canadian goods, a move Canadian negotiators have warned would amount to a “cliff” that could end the current talks.
U.S. officials are tying the threat to Canada’s retaliation against earlier U.S. tariffs—especially auto counter-tariffs and provincial bans on U.S. alcohol—as well as a dispute over Canada’s dairy-market access under USMCA.
Mark Carney faces pressure in both directions: Trump wants concessions including restoring U.S. booze to provincial shelves, while Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec all have sector-specific demands that complicate any deal.
Jamieson Greer said Washington will not tolerate retaliation, but the report says U.S. negotiators had not yet offered serious concessions before Sunday’s meetings, leaving Trump to either strike a last-minute deal, delay again or trigger tariffs.
Chuck Grassley called the threat a negotiating lever, yet the standoff underscores a broader erosion of USMCA as Trump repeatedly uses tariff brinkmanship to press Canada for new concessions.