During remarks at the White House on Tuesday (21 Jul), US President Donald Trump said the administration’s newly announced tariffs on selected Canadian imports were not linked to recent wildfire smoke affecting parts of the United States.
Asked whether the measures were a response to the wildfires, Trump replied: “No, no, no. That’s separate. We’re looking at that separately.”
He said the tariffs were instead “only [a] response to the way they’ve treated our farmers and our people,” adding that “Canada’s been very, very tough on us over the years” and claiming previous US administrations had not addressed the issue.
Trump also said, “I love Canada. I love the people of Canada,” while criticising successive Canadian governments over trade policy.
The remarks follow the Trump administration’s announcement of 50% tariffs on selected Canadian imports, citing what it describes as discriminatory treatment of US exports, particularly in the automotive, dairy and alcohol sectors.
Canada has rejected the measures, arguing they violate the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), while Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Ottawa remains willing to continue negotiations to resolve the dispute.
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