Big tariffs on Canada next week? Not necessarily, White House says

Reports that Canada and Mexico are set to be slapped with U.S. tariffs next week may be premature. That’s the latest word from the Trump administration.

The White House has clarified that North America-wide tariffs are not a done deal, as many news headlines suggested following remarks Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump had been asked Monday whether he’s proceeding with tariffs on Canada and Mexico, currently paused until March 4, and he replied: The tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule, then went on to make vague complaints about unspecified abuses against the United States.

It wasn’t totally clear which tariffs Trump was referring to. The president has threatened multiple trade actions, for multiple reasons. For Canada, the ones paused until March 4 represent the gravest threat.

CBC News asked the White House on Tuesday for clarification about which tariff plan, specifically, the president was referring to in his Monday comments.

The White House reply? A different plan (new window) for retaliatory tariffs (new window) on various countries is, as the president said, moving ahead as scheduled. That plan involves Trump’s threat to punish other countries with trade barriers against the U.S. (new window), based on a report (new window) the president has requested for April 1.

This could have some effects in Canada. Trump’s executive order threatening reciprocal tariffs mentions Canada’s tax on U.S. digital platforms (new window) as one of several foreign policies he’d like to punish.

But this is not the debilitating 25 per cent economy-wide tariff, and the 10 per cent oil tariff, Trump has threatened against Canada and Mexico, under the guise of renegotiating border policies.

WATCH | How Canada is lobbying U.S. lawmakers against incoming tariffs :

Behind the scenes of Canada’s charm offensive against Trump tariffs

As Canada braces for U.S. tariffs to hit as early as next week, some officials in Washington gathered for the annual ‘Canada Day’ celebration on Capitol Hill — an event that has taken on a new sense of urgency, CBC’s Katie Simpson tells Power & Politics.

What about the other tariffs?

So, what about that bigger tariff, currently paused until March 4? The White House told CBC News on Tuesday that it’s still to be determined, pending negotiations with Canada and Mexico.

The countries have been talking. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told CBC News last week that she’d had a good meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick this month, and received positive feedback on Canada’s suite of new border policies.

The White House also denied another media report Tuesday involving Canada. The Financial Times reported that White House aide Peter Navarro is urging that Canada be kicked out of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership with the U.S. and several other countries.

Navarro angrily denied the report in a media scrum. The White House also pushed back, saying, of the Financial Times report, That is not true.

This article is republished from RCI.