Trade talks between the United States and Canada have collapsed.
On the 21st (local time), AFP said Jamieson Greer of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said, "Canada refused to finalize the trade agreement under the terms agreed earlier this week," announcing the collapse of the talks.
U.S. President Donald Trump last month warned he would impose a 50% tariff on imports from Canada, saying Canada discriminates against industries such as automobiles, liquor, and dairy.
In response, the two sides held talks ahead of the tariff imposition deadline set for the 19th. Canada demanded a delay in the tariff and the withdrawal of tariffs already imposed on automobiles and steel, while the United States pushed back by demanding an end to boycotts of U.S. liquor underway in some Canadian provinces.
President Trump said after a call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the 18th that he would temporarily suspend the tariff from taking effect and continue negotiations, but the two sides ultimately appear to have failed to narrow their differences.
AFP reported that, following the collapse of the trade talks, a 50% tariff on some Canadian imports has taken effect.
Canada has signaled a hard-line response. Prime Minister Carney criticized after the talks collapsed that "the United States changed the terms it proposed at the last minute." He added that Canada would respond to the U.S. tariff measure "dollar for dollar."
Local media said that if the United States and Canada impose retaliatory tariffs against each other, there is a high possibility a trade war between the two countries will reignite.