Carney says retaliatory tariffs on U.S. to take effect next month

Prime Minister Mark Carney says retaliatory tariffs will hit the U.S. starting next month. 

The U.S. introduced new 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian exports on Saturday after trade talks failed. 

Carney suspended talks with the United States and summoned his negotiators back to Ottawa.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Saturday, Carney said Canada is walking away from a "bad deal" with the U.S. and will diversify trade abroad.

He said Canada will match Washington’s new tariffs dollar-for-dollar and that the levies will be targeted at sectors such as steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics. 

Carney says the counter tariffs will come into force on Sept. 8, the day after Labour Day.

The prime minister said in a statement late Friday that last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were "unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal."

On Saturday, Carney said that the U.S., "at the last hours," introduced efforts to restrict Canada's ability to have other trade deals.

He said there were also efforts to restrict Canada's protections of language and culture.

Carney said the government will outline Canada's plan for counter tariffs and measures to support Canadian workers and businesses in the coming days.

"We will do whatever it takes to support these businesses," he said Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2026. 

By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.