Trump Freezes U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Amid Rising Tensions

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the United States “will not restart” trade discussions with Canada, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations despite their deep economic ties under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The statement came amid ongoing disputes over trade practices and recent Canadian policies targeting American tech companies.

Trump did not specify conditions for resuming talks or outline further actions, but his remarks signal a halt to negotiations that had been expected to address longstanding issues. The U.S. has criticized Canada’s digital services tax, which it claims unfairly targets American firms like Google, Amazon, and Meta. Canadian officials have defended the levy as a measure to ensure tech giants contribute fairly to public revenues.

The standoff follows months of friction over Canadian subsidies in sectors such as electric vehicles and steel. Earlier this month, Trump also announced an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods, citing Ottawa’s use of former President Ronald Reagan’s audio in a TV ad about tariffs. “The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States,” Trump stated on Truth Social.

Canada has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest remarks, leaving the future of U.S.-Canada trade relations uncertain.