Donald Trump said Washington would inform Canada about new customs duties to “do business with the United States” over the next week.
The American president published these comments on his social networks on Friday afternoon, speaking of digital services tax as a “direct and obvious attack against our country”.
Prime Minister Mark Carney negotiated private with the American president and said earlier this month that the two governments were trying to conclude an agreement to put an end to the incessant tariff war of Donald Trump. At the top of the G7 in Alberta, MM. Carney and Trump agreed to try to reach an agreement by mid-July.
This tax must hit businesses like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb, with a 3 % levy from income from Canadian users.
It would apply retroactively over three years, leaving US companies an invoice of almost 2 billion US payable at the end of the month.
In recent days, various industrial associations have urged Ottawa to suspend the tax and avoid American reprisals. The Canada Chamber of Commerce warned that this “punitive” tax could encourage the United States to target Canadian pension plans.
Earlier this month, 21 members of the US Congress wrote to Donald Trump to tell him that this tax was likely to lead to other “discriminatory tax seizures” mainly targeting US companies.
The Canadian press requested comments from Mr. Carney’s offices, the Minister of Finance, François-Philippe Champagne, and opposition parties.
Heather McPherson, spokesperson for the new Democratic Party in Trade, has written that Canada should invest in employment insurance and the creation of sustainable jobs to protect workers from Donald Trump whims.
“Sallery does not work. Betting on a privileged relationship with Trump does not work. Secret negotiations do not work. Defending Canadian jobs and communities, yes, ”she said.
