Canada Rejects Latest US Tariff Offer as Deadline Looms
Canadian officials are dissatisfied with Washington's latest tariff-reduction proposal, as talks continue before August 19 duties take effect.
Canadian negotiators are pushing back against the latest U.S. proposal to ease tariffs, expressing disappointment with the terms just days before a new round of duties is set to take effect, CBC News reported on Wednesday, citing two sources.
The dispute stems from President Donald Trump's announcement last month that he would impose 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian imports starting August 19, unless Ottawa addresses what he described as discriminatory treatment of American-made cars, alcohol, and dairy products.
Negotiators from both countries have been meeting daily in Washington to try to reach a compromise. In exchange for concessions, Canada is seeking relief from the tariffs that Washington imposed on various imports last year.
According to CBC, the U.S. side presented a new proposal on Tuesday that would lower some tariffs, but not to the extent that Canadian officials had hoped. The offices of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Canadian minister Dominic LeBlanc, who oversees U.S. trade relations, did not respond to requests for comment.
The impasse raises the risk of a significant escalation in trade tensions between the two neighbors, with the August 19 deadline now less than a week away.