Although he hinted that such action was coming, no one seemed to expect President Donald Trump’s announcement on Monday of a new 50% import duty on goods from Canada.
The came after Trump signaled a desire to hold the nation responsible for its perceived role in causing and exacerbating the wildfires that are currently causing a haze over much of the Northeastern U.S.
The New York Post, however, indicated that this wasn’t the primary motive for Monday’s announcement:
President Trump slapped a mammoth 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods — a move meant to combat what the administration described as the country’s “continuous discrimination” on American products.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new tax will apply to a range of imports, including wine, hockey sticks, and cement and goes into effect in 30 days, but the administration indicated in a Monday briefing call that it was open for negotiations on the matter.
“Canada has retained substantial retaliation against the United States,” a senior administration official told reporters on a Monday briefing call.
“These are defensive measures by the United States taken to remedy discriminatory actions by Canada,” the official said, vowing the administration would hold America’s northern neighbor “accountable.”
Later in the same article:
The new tax will come as a shock to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — Trump didn’t mention the forthcoming tariffs when the two men chatted during Sunday’s World Cup final.
“Although the president and the prime minister met and they had a one-on-one, it was not a visit to talk about trade and tariffs from our perspective,” the official said.
Here’s what Trump said about the possibility of new tariffs in relation to the wildfire:
We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable! I will… pic.twitter.com/7cvCoHcXFO
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) July 17, 2026
His latest tariff talk drew some attention:
Here’s a statement from Trade Representative Jamieson Greer:
“While the Administration continues to secure fair and reciprocal trade deals with our trading partners, Canada, unlike other partners and allies, continues to retaliate against the United States for its efforts to rebalance trade and protect U.S. industry in national-security sensitive sectors,” said Ambassador Greer. “Specifically, Canada has taken U.S. alcohol products off Canadian shelves, given better market access to dairy products from the European Union, and has put a cap on U.S. vehicle exports to Canada from companies reshoring to the United States. Today, President Trump took decisive action to hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination, delivering on his promise to correct trade imbalances and ensure fairness for American workers, farmers, and businesses.”
The Associated Press added these details:
The move could unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that had been closely woven together before Trump’s return to the White House. The administration official previewing the action said that Canada was one of the only nations other than China that retaliated against Trump’s previous tariffs and must be held accountable.
The official insisted on anonymity on a call with reporters to preview the president’s actions and said that Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.
The new 50% tariffs would exclude energy products, potash, fish and critical minerals, but they would include goods that had previously been protected from import taxes by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. That 2020 trade pact was not renewed by the U.S., triggering a new set of negotiations that could run until 2036.
The White House said in a fact sheet that the tariffs would go into effect in 30 days, meaning there is time for negotiations as Trump has not always followed through on his announced tax hikes on imports.
Here’s another remark on the matter from the president:
Trump Blasts Canada Over Wildfire Smoke, Demands Payment for Damages https://t.co/G6HMUMklhg pic.twitter.com/mixcb9eekt
— New York Post (@nypost) July 20, 2026
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