The country’s finance minister Dominic Leblanc said the Canadian tariffs that come into force on Thursday will hit products that include computers and sports equipment, and were in response to President Donald Trump’s 25 percent levy on Canadian aluminium and steel, which he called “unjustified and unreasonable”.
The escalation of the US-Canada trade war occurred as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to hand over power to his successor Mark Carney, who won the leadership race of the ruling Liberals last weekend.
Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has said that Canada could impose non-tariff measures such as restricting oil exports to the US or levying export duties on minerals if American tariffs persist.
Trump’s hyper-focus on tariffs since taking office in January has rattled investor, consumer and business confidence in ways that economists worry could cause a US recession and further lag on the global economy. (Agencies)
