Trump says it’s ‘time to teach Canada’ as trade war deepens

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday escalated his trade dispute with Canada, saying it was “time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore” after trade talks between the two neighbours collapsed.

Trump, speaking to conservative commentator Glenn Beck, said Canada had rejected what he described as a good deal and insisted the US could manage without Canadian goods.

“They don’t have anything that we have to have,” Trump said, adding that the US could source essential products elsewhere.

Trump imposed new 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports on Saturday after negotiations broke down. Canada retaliated on Tuesday with tariffs covering about $20 billion in annual US imports, matching Washington’s latest duties. The Canadian tariffs are set to take effect on September 8.

Ottawa has also announced assistance for businesses and workers affected by the dispute. Trump, meanwhile, said 50% tariffs on Canadian automobiles and parts would take effect on January 1.

Canada has blamed Washington’s refusal to extend tariff relief to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as one of the key reasons the talks failed.

The escalating dispute has also revived calls for Canadians to buy domestic products. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne urged consumers to support Canadian producers, saying, “We can choose to buy Canadian, and we must choose to buy Canadian.”

Industry Minister Melanie Joly said buying Canadian goods would help put pressure on the US while protecting jobs at home.

The campaign has gained visibility in stores, particularly in Montreal, where maple leaf labels identifying Canadian products have become increasingly common. Some shoppers said they were willing to pay more for locally made goods, while retailers reported growing interest in the origin of products.

The backlash has also affected travel. A boycott of US travel last year contributed to a sharp decline in Canadians visiting the United States, although the trend has begun to ease in recent months.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Wednesday there were currently no open channels with Canadian negotiators, although he said he remained on good terms with Canadian Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is leading Ottawa’s trade efforts.

“If there’s further retaliation from the Canadian side, of course we’re not going to just sit down and take that,” Greer told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

White House adviser Peter Navarro said Canada would ultimately receive a worse deal than the one it rejected last week.

“The deal you got, that you turned your nose up, you’re never going to get that deal again,” Navarro said on C-SPAN, adding that any future agreement would be less favourable.