President Trump said Thursday he has re-imposed a tariff of 10 percent on some aluminum products imported from Canada, accusing the country of reneging on a promise not to “flood” the United States with its exports.
The move, which prompted Canada to pledge retaliation, reignites trade tensions with a key partner just months after the adoption of a new North American trade agreement.
“Earlier today, I signed a proclamation that defends American industry by reimposing aluminum tariffs on Canada. Canada was taking advantage of us, as usual,” Trump said during a speech in Ohio.
“Several months ago, my administration agreed to lift those tariffs in return for a promise from the Canadian government that its aluminum industry would not flood our country with exports and kill all of our aluminum jobs, which is exactly what they did,” Trump said, adding that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had advised him to reimpose tariffs.
The Trump administration originally imposed tariffs on a range of Canadian aluminum and steel in the summer of 2018, sparking a tense trade war. The United States agreed to lift the tariffs in May 2019 in order to pave the way for congressional agreement to a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. The deal, dubbed the new NAFTA, was ratified by the Senate in January.
To read the full story, click here.
