US President Donald Trump... (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have collapsed, raising the prospect of a fresh escalation in the trade war between the two North American neighbours after Ottawa rejected what Washington described as the final terms of a deal to avert sweeping new tariffs.
The breakdown came late Friday after days of negotiations that US officials had said were moving towards an agreement, with Canada now threatening to respond to any new American tariffs with retaliatory measures.
The development, first reported by The New York Times, came as the Trump administration prepared to impose new levies on Canadian imports from early Saturday.
The US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, accused Canada of abandoning the negotiating process after the two sides had made substantial progress towards an agreement that would have given Canadian exports preferential access to the American market.
