Less than two hours before yet another midnight tariff deadline, President Donald Trump backed off late Tuesday from his threat to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
The two nations struck a deal, Trump announced, with few details. “We’re going to give something, and we’re doing certain things,” he told reporters Wednesday.
The 11th-hour pivot underscores how the Trump administration has used tariffs not only as an economic tool, but also as leverage in negotiations with allies and adversaries.
The spat over tariffs isn’t really about taxing $20 billion of Canadian imports. It’s about whether Trump can use the threat of levies to extract concessions from America’s closest trading partner — including, but certainly not limited to, opening its markets to US farmers and offering more favorable terms for US businesses.
CANADA WAS THE ONLY COUNTRY BESIDES CHINA TO RETALIATE AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S EARLIER TARIFFS.
