WASHINGTON, March 11. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has threatened Canadian authorities to raise import duties on cars and thereby ruin the Canadian automobile industry if Ottawa does not cancel the import duties currently in effect on the US.
"If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA!" he wrote on the Truth Social platform.
On February 1, Trump signed an executive order imposing higher tariffs on goods from Canada, China, and Mexico. The 10% tariffs on imports from China went into effect on February 4, while the introduction of duties on Canadian and Mexican products was postponed for a month after negotiations with the leaders of these countries. On March 4, the US administration imposed 25% tariffs on almost all imports from Canada and Mexico, and also raised tariffs on goods from China from 10% to 20%.
On March 7, Trump again postponed the introduction of 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods that fall under the trilateral trade agreement (USMCA). Now the introduction of tariffs is expected on April 2, after which there will be no concessions, Trump said.