WASHINGTON (AP) — Canada has dodged President Donald Trump’s threat of 50% tariffs — at least for now.Trump went on social media late Tuesday to say he was pausing for three days the taxes on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports less than two hours before they were set to go into effect. Speaking to reporters at the White House Wednesday, Trump said that talks with Canada yielded a “very fair deal for both” sides. “Our farmers are going to be thrilled, our manufacturers are going to be thrilled,” Trump said in an impromptu gaggle during a tour of South Lawn construction.Trump also noted that the agreement is all subject to the “finalization of documents.” For now, the tariffs have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday.Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, returned to Ottawa on Wednesday to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was also set to chair Cabinet and a virtual meeting with provincial and territorial leaders.Here’s what to know:
Trump’s tariff threat would hit 5% of Canadian exports Last month, Trump invoked a never-before-used legal authority, dating back to the Great Depression, to announce that the United States would slap 50% tariffs on $20 billion, or about 5%, of Canadian exports to the United States, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Trump claimed that Canada discriminates against American exports of autos, alcohol and cheese. The U.S. president is also furious that Canada and China were the only countries that punched back with retaliatory tariffs of their own when he slapped levies on their products.The United States and Canada have sparred for decades over trade, poking each other over sore spots like Canadian softwood lumber imports and U.S. access to Canada’s protected dairy market.
