US President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on Canadian imports to thirty-five percent in response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement that Canada plans to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state in September.
According to a BBC Live on Friday, the new tariff—up from the previous 25 percent was enacted through an executive order and came into effect the same day.
The move follows Prime Minister Carney’s statement on Wednesday, where he said Canada would formally recognise Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session. Carney described the chances for an independent Palestinian state as “rapidly vanishing” and confirmed that he had spoken with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the planned announcement.
In response, Trump issued a sharp warning, saying, “It will now be very difficult to negotiate any trade deal with Canada.” He added that Canada’s decision threatened the integrity of existing US-Canada trade agreements.
White House officials framed the tariff hike as a direct response to what they called “a diplomatic breach,” marking a new low in bilateral relations. The sudden increase in duties is expected to escalate tensions further between Washington and Ottawa.