Carney says US ‘attacked’ Canada with tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday said the U.S. attacked Ottawa with tariffs, escalating a trade war that will impact residents on both sides of the border.

“In recent days, the United States proposed new terms that were uneconomic, unfair, and undermined the net benefits for Canada and called into question the reliability of any deal,” Carney said during a press conference on Sunday in response to a question from a journalist who asked why it felt like the nation was going to war.

“In short, they asked too much and they offered too little. You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” he added in reference to the Trump administration’s tariffs.

The 50 percent U.S. tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods went into effect early Sunday morning and were authorized under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

The new levies bypass prior exemptions for goods under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is a free trade pact that entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The U.S. declined to sign a 16-year renewal of the agreement during the 2026 review period, unless concessions were made by both Canada and Mexico.

New tariffs introduced by President Trump apply duties to products like dairy, wine and furniture.

This direct override of traditional protections — combined with stalled negotiations and a looming Canadian dollar-for-dollar retaliation — places the future of the USMCA in serious doubt.

Carney has a background in economics and previously served as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England before becoming prime minister.

He’s refused to play passive with the White House and on Friday said Ottawa would retaliate as a result of the heightened tariffs.

“We have recognized from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship,” Carney said.

“Canada has what the world wants. And we will not allow any nation to determine our future.”

Meanwhile, Trump has accused Canada of requesting benefits that would only be granted to a U.S. state not a foreign country or trade partner.

“Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!” the president wrote in an early Sunday morning Truth Social post .