[Global Times correspondents in the United States, Feng Yaren and Pei Ming, Yang Chen] On the 10th local time, Canada became another American ally facing tariff threats. President Donald Trump announced on social media that starting from August 1, the United States would impose a 35% tariff on goods imported from Canada, which will be executed separately from all previously announced industry tariffs. In the late hours of the same day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by stating that Canada would resolutely protect the interests of its practitioners and industries. According to CNN, Washington’s actions represent a “dramatic escalation” in the “trade war” with Ottawa, as well as a recent example of the U.S. government’s “continuous policy of negotiation,” where tariffs are “changed every Monday,” even in some cases within an hour. This has left investors, trade partners, and ordinary Americans unable to respond in time. The Guardian and other British media described this week, following three months of the U.S. government restarting the “global trade war,” as filled with threats and confusion.
U.S.: Trade deficit with Canada poses a “major threat” to U.S. national security
“Canada is not cooperating with the U.S. but rather retaliating with tariffs,” Trump stated in his letter to Trudeau. If Canada decides to increase tariff levels against the U.S., regardless of how much the additional tax amount, the U.S. will counter-tariff at the 35% rate. He accused Canada of imposing “extremely high tariffs” on U.S. dairy farmers and claimed that the U.S. trade deficit with Canada poses a “major threat” to the U.S. economy and national security.
The New York Times reported on the 11th that it remains unclear whether the tariff rates mentioned by Trump apply to all Canadian goods or whether this tariff policy can be implemented. The Wall Street Journal quoted a White House official saying that goods that comply with the USMCA could still enjoy tariff exemptions, but the situation could change.
On the 10th, Canadian Foreign Minister Arun Jaitley stated at the ASEAN Regional Forum’s Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Malaysia that Canada still hopes to reach a constructive and mutually beneficial agreement with the US, while “maximizing Canada’s national interests.” The Conservative Party leader of Canada’s opposition, Pelosi, on social media accused the US tariffs as an “irrational attack” on Canada’s economy. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the head of the General Union of Canada Workers, representing 320,000 employees across industries such as automobiles and steel, called the move by the US a “blackmail.”
According to reports from NBC and The New York Times on the 11th, Trump’s letter might surprise Kenny. Last month, he had mentioned that the deadline for reaching an agreement between the two countries was July 21. The Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Hillman, said that recently, officials at all levels in Canada have been communicating with their American counterparts almost every day. The report mentioned that the actions of the US disrupted ongoing negotiations between Canada and the US – the Canadian negotiators had optimistically expected to reach a trade agreement within weeks. The Wall Street Journal noted that a senior Canadian government official expressed that now, Canada is increasingly accepting the reality that some tariffs will be included in future agreements with the US.
“These countries are paying”
According to CNN on the 11th, data shows that Canada is the largest buyer of US goods, importing $349 billion worth of US products last year. Meanwhile, the country exported $413 billion worth of goods to the US last year. Reuters cited government data showing that from May 2024 to May 2025, Canada’s exports to the US accounted for 68% of its total exports. Bloomberg quoted market strategist Sharma saying that the letter released by Trump “undoubtedly struck a heavy blow, having a substantive impact on the Canadian economy.” The Wall Street Journal reported that trade with the US accounts for about one-fifth of Canada’s economic output.
由于贸易政策的不确定性，加拿大经济已陷入困境，失业率攀升至高点，国内需求也有所减弱。
路透社称，为了减少对美国的依赖，加拿大正扩大与英国、澳大利亚、欧盟国家的贸易。加拿大《环球邮报》11日文章则提到阿南德本周的亚洲之行，称如果她不清楚此次访问行程的重要性，美政府在10日晚帮她强调了这一点。美国的施压举动将促使加拿大增加与亚洲国家的贸易往来。
连日来，美政府已向超过20个经济体发出信函，告知对方在未能与美国达成贸易协议情况下，将面临加征的关税税额。特朗普10日接受NBC采访时说，未收到美方信函的经济体将被征收20%或15%关税，“这些国家都要付钱”。
“特朗普重启全球贸易战的一周。”英国《金融时报》11日称，它始于对日本和韩国的警告，接着是宣布对进口铜征收50%的关税，然后是对巴西的严酷斥责。许多其他美国贸易伙伴也面临惩罚性关税，新的谈判截止日期是8月1日。美国前贸易谈判代表卡特勒认为，美政府的关税信函似乎表明，美方对贸易谈判缺乏进展感到沮丧，希望能够促使合作伙伴作出更多让步。
与美会谈如同“穿过迷宫”，然后“回到起始位置”
在美国发动的“关税战”中，其盟友的处境是国际舆论重点关注的对象。“德国之声”11日称，“欧盟为（关税）升级做好了准备”。当天，欧盟可能将收到来自特朗普的信函。
英国广播公司（BBC）11日指出了美国此轮重设“关税时钟”后一个明显的“输家”——美日同盟。
Economist Jepsen Koh said that despite Japan’s close economic and military ties with the United States, it is treated equally by other Asian countries. “Seven rounds of negotiations without an agreement: Japan is preparing for a new era in its relationship with the US,” The New York Times reported, indicating that Japan is now facing “a dramatic shift in diplomacy.”
According to a report by the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stated in a speech this week that “this is a battle over our national interests, and we will not be exploited. Even if we are allies, we must speak the truth.” There is no shortage of discontent among the Japanese public towards the United States. A recent editorial in The Nikkei called out the United States for its unilateral tariff increase, stating that while the importance of the Japan-US alliance has been further enhanced amidst increasingly severe international circumstances, the US’s unilateral tariff measures remain too harsh.
The announcement by the United States to impose a 50% tariff on Brazil also shocked international opinion. Bloomberg reported that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva responded sharply again during a media interview on the evening of the 10th, saying Brazil would seek other partners to purchase its products, “We cannot survive without the United States.” Lula mentioned that the trade dispute could be “endless.”
The New York Times published an article on the 11th, stating that the United States’ inconsistent stance on tariffs has left the world deeply shaken. Indonesian Minister of Economy and Finance Halitato said that talks with the US were like “traversing a maze” before “returning to the starting position.” The report noted that as global business rules give way to chaos, businesses and nations find it difficult to plan. A manager at Deutsche Bank described this uncertainty as “poison” for the global economy.