Canada again in the customs sight of Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump again targeted Canada on Thursday, imposing 35 % surcharge from 1^is August, one of the highest rates announced since the start of the week because he accuses Ottawa of having retaliated to his customs duties.

Instead of working with the United States, Canada has retaliated with its own customs duties. From 1^is August 2025, we will apply 35 % customs duties in Canada to Canadian products exported to the United States, regardless of all sectoral customs dutieswrote the American president in a letter sent to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and published on his platform Truth Social.

These customs duties can be modified, upward or downwards, depending on our relationship with your countryindicates Donald Trump.

As with each letter sent to more than twenty countries since Monday, the American president said that these customs duties will be added to those imposed on specific activity sectors, such as steel, aluminum and automobile.

During current commercial negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government relentlessly defends our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so while we work for the revised deadline of 1^is augustreacted to X, Prime Minister Carney.

We build a strong Canada. The federal government, the provinces and the territories make significant progress in the implementation of a unified Canadian economy. We are preparing to build a series of new major projects of national interest. We work to strengthen our commercial partnerships around the world.

As for the chief of the Quebec Bloc, Yves-François Blanchet, he was quick to react on the social network X.

We had to have a [bonne] Agreement before July 21. [Donald] Trump menace, [Mark] Carney folds. Until now, this strategy, if it is one, is poorly designed and executed. Parliament or at least chiefs must be informed of the state of negotiationshe wrote.

Digital services tax and new agreement

Canada and the United States had, however, committed to working on a new economic and security agreement, with a deadline set for July 21.

At the end of June, Donald Trump had announced on Truth Social that he put an end to all trade discussions with Canada due to the digital services tax, which he had described asDirect and blatant attack against the United States.

Canada then decided to cancel this tax and then resumed its commercial negotiations with the United States.

On July 4, Canada Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, even said on the show Economy area that the tone of negotiations was “very cordial”.

The pace has been accelerating for three or four weeks. We come into important details. These are large and technical discussions. Our two leaders want an agreement to be concludedshe said.

Twenty letters sent

About twenty countries have already received a letter of the same type since the start of the week, mainly Asian countries, with 25 % applied to products from Japan or South Korea, and up to 40 % for certain Southeast Asian countries.

It is Brazil, so far not targeted by surcharges beyond 10 %, which has experienced the highest increase in customs duties applied to its products, the American president announcing 50 % in response to the proceedings against the former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, accused of having made a coup attempt after his defeat against President Lula.

In an interview with NBC News Published on Thursday, the president said that he was planning to send a Missive of the same order to the European Union today or tomorrow.

He added that other business partners who had not yet received a letter would probably be subject to global customs tariffs. Not everyone is forced to receive a letter. You know it. We are fixing our priceshe said during the interview.

We will simply say that all the remaining countries will pay, whether 20 % or 15 %. We will settle this nowhe added.

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With information from Agency France-Presse, Reuters and the Canadian press