Carney to speak as U.S.-Canada trade talks fall apart, 50% tariffs hit

In a significant blow to ongoing U.S.-Canada trade talks, Prime Minister Mark Carney will speak publicly on Saturday in response to the imposition of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods by the United States. Carney is set to address reporters at 11 a.m. prior to a 1:30 p.m. meeting with the premiers of Canada’s provinces and territories.

The tariffs were initially scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, but were delayed by three days by President Donald Trump to allow trade talks to continue. Despite Trump's claim of a "deal" with Canada, officials in Ottawa expressed caution, citing discrepancies in legal language. On Friday, Carney announced the suspension of trade negotiations and the recall of Canada's negotiating team to Ottawa, arguing that the U.S. position changes were unfair, uneconomic, and raised doubts about the agreement's reliability.

Canada vowed to match the new U.S. tariffs "dollar for dollar" and announced plans to provide additional support for affected workers and businesses. U.S. Trade Representative Jamie Raskin, however, pinned the blame on Canada for the talks' collapse, claiming Ottawa refused to finalize a deal under the terms previously agreed upon.

Canada's premiers broadly supported Carney's decision, with British Columbia's David Eby advocating for a tough approach and Ontario Premier Doug Ford releasing a letter to the prime minister supporting a "dollar-for-dollar, tariff-for-tariff response" and maintaining existing countermeasures.