by WorldTribune Staff, August 25, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
President Donald Trump said that the Canada will “be treated like a State no longer” as he vowed to eliminate a $60 billion trade deficit through aggressive new tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be matched ‘dollar for dollar’ by Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of acting entitled and expecting the benefits of U.S. partnership without fair reciprocity.
The president blamed Ottawa’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American agricultural products for creating a trade deficit that is “not sustainable.”
Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday:
“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years. Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!
“On January First, 2027, Tariffs on all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel, will be increased to 50%. Build in the U.S. and there are ZERO TARIFFS.
“Canada will be treated like a State no longer! On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US! They do 95% of their business with the U.S., with us, the exact opposite! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Vice President JD Vance similarly dismissed Canada as acting like “a state” rather than an independent trading partner.
“We have to remember, Canada is a state, sorry, Freudian slip. That was actually an accident. Canada is a country that has underinvested in its military that quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America,” Vance said.
On Saturday, the U.S. implemented an initial round of 50% tariffs covering roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, targeting goods like wine, hockey sticks, and cement.
On Tuesday, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced $20 billion in dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs. Effective Sept. 8, Canada will impose 15% to 50% tariffs across 700 American products, including steel, aluminum, dairy, and appliances.
The dispute intensified further when Ontario implemented a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to three U.S. states. Trump responded immediately by doubling the U.S. tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Canada would come out worse from tussling with Trump in a trade war.
“We’re great trading partners, right? But Canada gets the benefit of trading with the U.S. way more than the U.S. gets the benefit of trading with Canada,” he told the “Fox News Sunday” talk show.
“To think that they’re going to go to war with Donald Trump and actually win that war with the U.S., I think it’s foolish on their part.”
Duffy predicted that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would return to negotiations “very very quickly, because it’s going to be devastating for his country.”
Carney was defiant on Saturday, announcing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. after walking away from what he called a “bad deal” on trade as the rift between the longtime allies deepened.
“You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” Carney said.
