US imposes 50 percent tariffs on $20bn in Canadian goods after talks fail

Key Facts

• Fact 1: The United States has imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20bn worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiators from the two countries failed to finalise a trade deal despite three days of talks in Washington, DC.
• Fact 2: With a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump expiring at 12:01am Eastern Time (04:01 GMT) on Saturday, US and Canadian officials made clear that an agreement had not been reached.
• Fact 3: Quebec separatist says no independence referendum while Trump in office Canada boosts Lebanon aid to $50m and condemns Israeli ‘unlawful invasion’ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country would match the new tariffs “dollar for dollar”.
• Fact 4: “Despite the US offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market, new demands and walkbacks of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days.” The tariffs will hit about 5 percent of Canadian exports to the US, including electronics, industrial machinery and dairy products, adding to pre-existing US tariffs on steel, lumber and autos.