Canadians hit back at Trump with tariffs

Monthly freight flows between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico were down in April, but up 12.8% from a year earlier.

A government official familiar with the plan says now that Mexico's presidential election is done, Ottawa wants to restart talks as soon as possible, even though Trump says he won't sign a new deal until after USA voters go to the polls in November.

The federal Liberal government is determined to rekindle intensive talks on a new continental trade pact this summer - even though President Donald Trump says he won't sign a renegotiated NAFTA until after the US midterm elections this fall.

"It's our chance to go and celebrate Independence Day with the Americans and demonstrate we're friends", said Bezan.

Speaking on Sunday in Leamington, Ontario, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Canadians for standing united against President Donald Trump's sanctions.

Canada will tax USA steel exports at a rate of 25%, and the rest of the goods will be taxed at a 10% rate.

"Escalating tariffs against the United States does nothing to help Canada".

The Trudeau Government announced that in direct, measured and proportional response to USA tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, reciprocal surtaxes on $16.6 billion of imports of steel, aluminum and other products from the United States will come into effect July 1, 2018.

Canada's retaliatory tariffs on USA goods do nothing to help Canada and will only hurt American workers, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Monday. The Trudeau government has described Canada's retaliation as dollar-for-dollar, reciprocal tariffs that target steel, aluminum as well as a long list of consumer goods.

Some US products, mostly steel and iron, face 25 per cent tariffs, the same penalty the United States slapped on imported steel at the end of May.

Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) continues to support the Federal Government in its recent efforts to respond to the Trump Administration's misguided decision to impose tariffs on the aluminum and steel industry in Canada. The two discussed "mutually beneficial economic and trading relationship between the two countries", Trudeau's office said in a statement. When asked about this today, Sanders answered that "We've been very nice to Canada for many years, and they've taken advantage of that".

"If they are not fine, I am going to tax their cars coming into America".

"We're going to take down all our barriers, we're going to take down all our taxes, right".

The president's decision to push back the NAFTA talks comes as the USA and Canada have been engaged in a tit-for-tat trade dispute over Trump's tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.