US tariffs on Canadian goods take effect as Ottawa pledges dollar-for-dollar retaliation

US tariffs of 50% on Canadian imports officially took effect on Saturday following the collapse of eleventh-hour trade talks in Washington. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc had engaged in extensive negotiations to avert the measures, which target billions of dollars in goods.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that Ottawa will enact reciprocal, dollar-for-dollar retaliatory surcharges to shield domestic industries and workers. Carney criticised the US administration's last-minute modifications to proposed terms, stating they were unfair, uneconomic, and undermined the reliability of bilateral agreements. The enforcement of the reciprocal levies marks a severe escalation in trade friction between the two North American allies.

Sources: La Tribune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, RTBF Info.