Canada's new tariffs: Are small businesses 'cannon fodder' in the trade war?

Canada has imposed retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars in US products, with duties ranging from 15% to 50%. The tariffs, which took effect on Tuesday, cover C$27.6 billion in imports from the United States, including steel and aluminium products, as well as dairy goods like cheese, according to the Malay Mail.

The move is in response to the 50% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Canadian products, including hockey sticks and cement, which hit about 5.5% of Canadian exports to the United States. The tariffs have sparked concerns about the impact on small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, with experts saying they will have an outsized impact on these businesses, according to CBC Business.

The trade war between the two countries has been escalating, with Trump threatening to block sales of Canada's Bombardier Aviation in the United States, unless the company moves manufacturing to the US. The tariffs have also raised concerns about the broader US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, which is up for its annual review.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC Business, Malay Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, MyJoyOnline Ghana, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.