Canada’s retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs “should come as no surprise” to Washington, Finance Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne said on Thursday.
At a joint press conference with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Champagne was asked if Canada was concerned that the U.S. may escalate the trade war as a result of Canada’s counter-tariffs, which are set to go into effect on Sept. 8.
“We’re standing up for our workers, our industry and our businesses. And that should come as no surprise to our American partners,” Champagne said.
“We will always defend, the economic sovereignty of Canada. We’ll always defend our industries.”
The U.S. has reversed its position on discoverability and bilingual labelling, U.S. Canada Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Thursday.
“Canada welcomes that the U.S. is now withdrawing its positions on discoverability and labelling and is confirming that measures to promote French language and Canadian culture will not be subject to future U.S. trade actions,” LeBlanc said.
Canada will look forward to “constructive U.S. clarifications on their other positions which would create the possibility of a mutually beneficial trade agreement that respects Canadian sovereignty,” he said.
A day after talks collapsed, Prime Minister Mark Carney said last-minute demands by the U.S. on the discoverability of Canadian content on streaming platform and bilingual labelling had emerged as a non-negotiable sticking point for Canada.
On Tuesday, Trump had denied making those demands.
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“I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I love French Canadians!”
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Canada made the decision to walk away from the negotiating table “for political purposes.”
“It didn’t happen for math. The math was sensational. It was a great deal,” he told reporters Thursday.
He also denied wanting to put in provisions that would restrict the use of the French language.
“This is manufactured and that’s why the president put out a truth saying it was a complete lie,” Lutnick said.
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Canadian businesses continue to weather Trump’s latest duties while they await the planned reprisal from Ottawa to take effect.
Canada removes seafood from planned counter-tariffs
Late Wednesday evening, Finance Canada issued a statement saying it had been receiving feedback from Canadian industries and is making some adjustments to the list of counter-tariffs.
Canada’s response, spelled out on Tuesday, includes raising tariffs on American steel and aluminum products from 25 to 50 per cent.
The federal government will also impose tariffs ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on hundreds of other U.S. exports, including clothing and apparel, appliances, and dairy products.
In this case, the statement said that to protect against broader economic harm, seafood and fish products have been removed from the list, but no further details were released.
Removing tariffs on U.S. seafood products was “in Canada’s best interests,” Champagne told reporters Thursday.
United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has stated on several occasions that if there is further Canadian retaliation, the Trump administration will not sit idly by and take it.
–with files from Canadian Press
“the president put out a truth'” believed no one ever
Of course Canadian retaliation came as a surprise to the US: Bullies are always shocked wen their targets hit back!
Don’t listen to me folks. I’m a stooge. A total brainwashed lunatic!
Did I win dumbest comment of the day again? Did I? Did I? I’m a total donkey and totally deserve it. What do I win? Free TDS meds I hope. Heeehaw heeehaw!
Stephen
August 28, 2026 at 8:52 am
America saying Canada lied? Come on! Trump and Lutnik are not credible and nobody believes anything they say on any day of the week ending in ‘day’.
Even the leader of the Quebec separatist party said our government lied.
Why is Carney going to EU parliament before reopening our own to discuss this trade deal blunder? I know why because he is scared and knows the lies will be exposed in real time. That’s if he even decides to show up to question period.
America saying Canada lied? Come on! Trump and Lutnik are not credible and nobody believes anything they say on any day of the week ending in ‘day’.
Ed
August 28, 2026 at 8:01 am
Canadians are so tough
Lmfao
Come and try me c*nt.
Canadians are so tough
Lmfao
Any update on lower food costs or taxes, didn’t think so.
Axe the tariffs.
Jamil is nuts.
Vote for me.
Trailer Trash Trump and his dumpster gang, got caught acting in bad faith and now want to act indignate like they are victims here, using everything from the Putin playbook.
They keep saying they don’t need Canada… so then just stop trading with Canada then, real easy yo do that.
So Why is Trump and his dumpster gang going on and on and on like a bunch of High school girls about it.
Not surprising that the Liberal Party would lie to gain political points.
They have been lying to us for over a decade.
Affordable Housing,Growing the Economy,Better jobs, etc. They just keep lying and the easily fooled lap it up and vote for them.
@Iona Truc. On the balance of probabilities, your truck is lifted and you are short.
Global won’t let us comment on CBSA seize nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine at Ontario-U.S. border story. Some sing must be involved.
Mike,
Yours was 1 of the only comments that bared any merit. Wish people would look at this as what it really is.
Karny will put on a live sex show with a donkey 🐴 at the Whitehouse to get them back to negotiations
@In control. Carney is holding off tariffs because we need to respond by being calm. Time gives an opportunity for people to change their positions. Knee-jerk reactions are american reactions.
Why is Carney waiting to start the Tariffs until Sept 8?
Why not now?
@Whatever. Heated rivalry… ? And we are overwhelmed with US culture. This is to keep Canadians employed and avoid becoming American. Thats a worthy cause.
Canada… a Nation that celebrates it’s Government as it pushes its economy over a cliff with poverty waiting at the bottom. Oh, Canada…
From NP that gets deleted several times already!!! Why????
The main reasons Canada walked away from the deal was American demands that we scrap policies that force U.S.-owned streaming services to prioritize Canadian, including French-language, content and to contribute to the production of said content. Canadian content, or CanCon = productions that are of little interest to anyone, let alone Canadians themselves. If it was worth producing, the government wouldn’t need to force Netflix or Amazon to fund it, or to alter their algorithms to promote it.
Why would Netflix or Amazon pay for something nobody wants?
Bad enough we, Canadians, have to subsidize “CanCon”.
Malcolm Amber. Canada has, and has had, more trade agreements with other countries than any other G7 member. Trade agreements give Canadian businesses the opportunity to do business on better terms than non-member businesses. Canadian businesses chose to do business with the U.S. because it was easier not because Canada tole them to do business with the U.S. They are now looking elsewhere because Trump is so chaotic that doing business there is impossible. It would be nice if the people who comment on trade and business issues here know what they’re talking about.
The most overused word of 2026…”Sovereignty” What I don’t understand is why Canada hasn’t been doing trade with other nations all along? Sure, the US is a huge portion of Canada’s trade but why couldn’t we double that by trading with others besides the US?
André D
August 27, 2026 at 12:42 pm
Trump loves French Canadians ?! Can this bozo be any more of a bozo ?! Does he actually think we believe anything he says. As for Greer and all the other twits in the Whitehouse, you started this, but Canada will end it … elbows up!!!
Is it Elbows up? or Canada Makes America Great Again as our dear leader once said.
To Canada…don’t buy whirlpool. But Chinese products.
Trump loves French Canadians ?! Can this bozo be any more of a bozo ?! Does he actually think we believe anything he says. As for Greer and all the other twits in the Whitehouse, you started this, but Canada will end it … elbows up!!!
Canada acting exactly like deadbeat nations Iran, Russia, China. In some ways even worse.
Canadians are Morons..there is no sovereignty risk. only poverty risk due to bloated welfare socialist system and cutting off trade with your biggest customer is somehow protecting your workers ? laughable..they don’t even know basic economics. without capitalism you will get poorer that’s a fact. more corruption, hypocrisy and injustice to follow.
Finance Canada has come out and said after listening to business concerns they are adjusting some of the tariffs does that mean they are lowering or increasing the percentage to be paid. Again more secrets from Carney and this Liberal government any information that the media reports is from the government and they will always paint a rosy picture of themselves because after all there are by- elections happening very soon
Mexico and US have had solid reporting that before summer vacation for the do nothing liberal government was not showing up at negotiations. Liberals can only control media in Canada. You want real news look outside of communist Liberal controlled propaganda mainstream media.
Liberals only caused problems. Carbon tax for Brookfield hurts Canada more than trade agreements. It makes the products instantly more expensive then its competition. Basic facts.
@anonymous at 12:12pm. Couldn’t agree more. The world has changed and it’s unlikely to change back after Trump leaves.
This money laundering con man. Liberal MP belongs in prison for treason like liberals paid via stolen taxpayers money propaganda mainstream media. Green slush fund vanished he received millions.
Hope his plane run 1000s miles short of a runway.
Trump gave us a favor by forcing us to speed up trade with other countries. We will be less reliant on our former and closest ally for trade. The Americans are always finding someone to blame for their downfall. In fact, the American government blamed Canadians for drug trafficking and today, 400 KG of drugs coming from the USA border was caught by the CBSA. Canadians will hurt a bit for a few years, but we will stay strong when we open trade with other countries like India, Mexico, and China. They are the lesser evil of the former and closest ally.
@Janice. There are numerous stories from multiple news outlets stating that the US changed the terms at the last minute. Lutnick and Navarro both got involved. Carney is not a coward-the proposed deal before the US tried to change it was politically risky for Carney. We have to get used to this situation as I fear it’s not changing even after Trump leaves.
@Ben. Nothing is being negotiated at this time and a new deal will be brought forward should Carney decide to get back to the table. IMO Catney was a coward to walk away in the first place. Is is all theatre by Carney for the up-coming by elections.
not enough you dirtbag yanks
I’ve gone through this list released the other day by the CBA. Around 50% were seafood products. I have never seen U.S seafood products on local grocery store shelves here in Alberta.
@Anonymous. Whatever the proposed deal is, it contains concessions on dairy and other items. Note that I do believe there are informal negotiations taking place. In any case, releasing the proposed deal now would sink negotiations as the public reaction would be visceral. Trump has already admitted to adding terms at the 11th hour- as reported by multiple news outlets. Ergo, this is why Carney shut down negotiations, which also coincidentally boosted his chances in the by-elections.
@Ben Carney walked away from the negotiations so there are no ongoing negotiations taking place at this time. So there is absolutely no reason why the deal Carney walked away from cannot be released so Canadians can see what actually took place and why Carney shut down the deal. Not only Trump has a history of lying. Carney also has a history of lying to Canadians. So let us see the deal in black and white on paper so we can make up our own mind just who is lying this time.
@A. I would likely back anyone in government over the Americans. I back Ford who is a right wing conservative over the Americans. Trump and his administration have lied hundreds of times. Given that record, I automatically believe Carney here.
@Dave. The deal cannot be released as it is still being negotiated. Negotiating terms may change and commercial interests may be affected (which may affect share prices). Also any proposed deal will be immediately attacked, tying the governnents hands.
The results of standing up to a bully. The bully TACO’s. The Liberals should have done this a couple of years ago. Then we would not be stuck with US controlled F-35 fighters and wasting money on submarines and border patrols looking for Canadian drugs going upstream.
The big question… do we believe him, or will he change his mind once there is an agreement like he is doing with CUSMA?
And anyone believes Trump.Not.
Mary at 931 am. Why would you trust the banker? What has he done for Canadians?
On the one hand Greer said there weren’t any last minute changes, now they’re backing down? It’s like the polar express midway ride and grand central station with these goofs.
Can’t trust the Americans with anything….the worst liars ever.
They risked 1000s of jobs for freaking french labeling. The Liberal party is an absolute disgrace
I am still waiting for evidence it was even demanded
They want my support but dont have the common decency to release the terms of the agreement they turned down