Carney says he’s not ‘escalating the conflict’ as Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanadaCanadian Politics Carney says he's not 'escalating the conflict' as Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs Carney said his government can’t allow American goods into Canada tariff-free, while the U.S. charges Canadian companies to export Author of the article: By Jordan Gowling Published Sep 08, 2026 Last updated 4 hours ago 2 minute read Join the conversation Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to journalists outside his office the day after the Liberal's won three byelections, in Ottawa on Sept. 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE/POSTMEDIA Article content OTTAWA — On the same day Canadian tariffs on $28 billion worth of U.S. imports came into effect, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he doesn’t believe in escalating the trade conflict. Article content “That’s not constructive,” said Carney, during a video address released on Tuesday. “But our tariffs are necessary protect our workers, protect our companies, and our communities.” Article content Article content Article content Carney said his government can’t allow American goods into Canada tariff-free, while the U.S. charges Canadian companies to export. Article content EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTER Political Hack Political Hack gets at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill. Wednesdays and Fridays. Subscribe Now See all of our newsletters Article content Canada’s latest round of tariffs against the U.S. is in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per-cent tariff on $28 billion worth of Canadian goods under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Trump slapped Canada with the new tariffs after trade talks between Canada and the U.S. broke down on Aug. 21. Article content Carney announced a pause in negotiations last month and said several last-minute conditions in the draft text of an agreement made a deal with the U.S. untenable. Article content “We worked in good faith to reach a fair deal, but since a fair deal wasn’t on the table, we made the right choice to walk away from a bad one,” Carney said Tuesday. Article content Since trade talks were paused, there has been no communication between negotiators on both sides. The U.S. administration has vowed to respond to Canada’s latest round of tariffs. Over the weekend, Trump took to TruthSocial where he attacked aircraft maker Bombardier and posted a photo of the North American continent covered in…