Key facts
- President Donald Trump threatened Canada with tariffs on goods like hockey sticks and tongue depressors.
- Trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed due to last-minute US demands.
- Canada retaliated with tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of US goods, including steel and dairy.
- Trump suggested renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America due to the trade dispute.
- JD Vance criticized Canada's trade policies and its reliance on US protection.
President Donald Trump has escalated a trade dispute with Canada, threatening tariffs on goods such as hockey sticks and tongue depressors after trade talks collapsed. The US president also suggested renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, citing a lack of future business with the country. Canada, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has described the US actions as an 'attack' and retaliated with its own tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of US products, including steel, dairy, appliances, and farm equipment.
The trade spat has led to surging prices for US consumers on various products, including toilet paper, which relies heavily on Canadian lumber for raw materials. The US accounts for over 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world's population.
During the escalating tensions, Trump compared the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, unfavorably to his deceased brother, Rob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto. Meanwhile, JD Vance, speaking at a Republican rally, criticized Canada's trade policies and asserted that the country would be invaded if not for US protection, a statement that drew parallels to Trump's own past threats of annexation.