Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. went into place at midnight Tuesday, impacting hundreds of American goods, including fish, cheese, apparel, carpets and metal products.
This comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told the U.S. that Canada would match U.S. tariffs “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.” America’s neighbor kept its word, and also doubled its tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50 percent on Tuesday.
The Trump administration placed 50 percent tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of Canadian products two weeks ago, goods such as hockey sticks, cement and wine. And it appears no negotiations are in the works.
Carney followed up on the retaliatory tariffs Tuesday, calling it a “shame” that Canada and the U.S. couldn’t reach a trade agreement.
“They wanted a say in our future agreements with other counties, and they were offering terms that would, over time, undermine some of the most industries in our country, including automobiles, steel, and forest products,” Carney said. “In short, they were asking far too much and offering far too little.”
Bombarding Bombardier: The president threatened Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier on Monday on Truth Social, saying it would no longer be able to sell products in the U.S.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) defended the Quebec-based jet and military aircraft company on the social platform X Monday because of its impact in Kansas.
“The presence of Bombardier in Wichita supports a local workforce of more than a thousand employees, who contribute their talent and expertise to our nation’s defense and aerospace capabilities,” Moran wrote.
“This afternoon, I reached out to the Trump administration to make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain,” he continued.
Bombardier made Wichita its U.S. headquarters in 2022 to expand flight tests and upgrade operations for its Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets.
Trump’s threats would not only impact Bombardier employees in Kansas, but also Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.
“Bombardier aircraft are built with American-made components such as engines, avionics and many more key systems provided by great American companies,” the company said Monday.
“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees. Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country,” it concluded.
🔎Read more on the U.S. and Canada trade battle here.
North United States of America: President Trump raised tensions between the two countries even more on Monday by posting a map on Truth Social that showed an American flag draped over most of North America.
It also blanketed Iceland, Mexico, Greenland, islands in the Caribbean such as Cuba and Jamaica and part of Central America.
At a press conference Tuesday, Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir called Trump’s post “absurd,” and said, “There is nothing funny or normal about making fun of the sovereignty of states.”
EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS
Republicans will flock to Dallas on Wednesday and Thursday alongside Trump for the Republican National Committee's (RNC) midterm convention.
The Associated Press has described the affair as "unusual." Republicans have not held a midterm convention before, but Democrats did in the 1970s and 1980s.
Sticky situation: November's midterms will prove difficult for both parties, as Decision Desk HQ has shifted its Senate prediction to "pure toss-up." But it will prove particularly difficult for Republicans, who face a historical disadvantage as the party in power.
Record-high fuel prices amid the Iran war, trade tensions with Canada and Trump's sagging approval rating could also dog the GOP at the polls.
The spectacle will aim to bolster Republican candidates and reflect on the president's track record over the last two years to inspire voters to vote red all the way down the ballot on Election Day. Trump has even urged Republicans to "pretend" he's on the ballot in November.
Taking attendance: Some candidates are avoiding the convention, though, as they fear associating their campaigns too closely with the president, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) have decided to stay away and focus on campaigning in their respective states.
Trump plans to speak both nights. Other speakers include Vice President Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), RNC Chairman Joe Gruters, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and more.
The price tag is also bigger in Texas: The RNC is giving seats away, per The Independent, through a public lottery that would grant winners free tickets, front-row seats and VIP treatment. Otherwise, attendees must pay $25,000.
They can pay an extra $20,000 to be an "honorary delegate" and an additional $250,000 to get a donor seat at a roundtable with the president. On top of all of that, $88,600 could buy a commemorative photo. Seems like a lot more than the cost of that second bag of groceries.
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