Trump threatens a 35% tariff on Canadian goods. He may double charges on other nations

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🗞️ Driving the news: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a sweeping 35% tariff on Canadian goods starting August 1, escalating trade tensions with one of America’s closest economic partners
• The move follows Trump’s broader push to raise blanket tariffs on U.S. trading partners, potentially doubling rates for many countries
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to defend Canadian workers and pursue a negotiated solution ahead of a July 21 deadline

🔭 The context: Canada and the U.S. remain each other’s largest trading partners, exchanging over $760 billion in goods annually
• The two countries have endured repeated tariff disputes under Trump, including on steel, aluminum, autos, lumber, and dairy
• Earlier this year, Canada indefinitely postponed a controversial digital services tax to avoid further U.S. retaliation
• The fentanyl crisis, a recurrent theme in Trump’s rhetoric, has also been invoked despite Canada’s negligible role in U.S. fentanyl flows

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Heightened trade barriers between North America’s two largest economies risk disrupting cross-border supply chains for critical sectors, including clean energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable forestry
• Uncertainty around tariffs could dampen investment in low-carbon industries, slow EV adoption, and strain climate cooperation under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
• Retaliatory tariffs could also harm industries transitioning to more sustainable practices

⏭️ What's next: Talks between Ottawa and Washington are expected to intensify ahead of the July 21 deadline, with both sides seeking to avoid a damaging trade war
• Carney is under pressure to protect Canadian exporters while maintaining climate policy commitments, which have become another flashpoint in U.S.-Canada relations
• Investors and businesses are bracing for market volatility if no agreement is reached before August 1, when tariffs are scheduled to take effect

💬 One quote: “These tariffs will damage both our countries,” — Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s Conservative opposition leader

📈 One stat: Canada imported $349 billion worth of U.S. goods in 2024 — making it America’s single largest export market

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