U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has placed responsibility on Canada for Washington’s decision to further escalate its trade dispute with its northern neighbour.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed five new executive orders, intensifying the United States’ retaliation after Canada introduced its latest round of counter duties against American products.
The new measures, which are set to take effect later this month, will completely prohibit the import of certain Canadian goods into the United States. The affected products include motorcycles, some dairy products and alcoholic beverages.
According to Greer, the latest escalation is a “natural consequence” of what he described as Canada’s discrimination against American exports. He also accused Ottawa of choosing what he called “senseless retaliation” instead of moving forward with a trade agreement that was reportedly close to being finalized.
The U.S. trade representative said President Trump intends to protect the interests of American workers and exporters while restoring what the administration considers greater reciprocity in bilateral trade relations.
For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has acknowledged that the country’s efforts to shift away from its economic dependence on the United States will come at a cost. However, he has warned that maintaining the current path would ultimately be a far worse alternative.
