US, Canada fail to reach trade deal as Washington announces 50pc tariffs — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States and Canada failed to reach a trade agreement late on Friday, with Washington announcing 50 percent tariffs on some Canadian imports, further escalating trade tensions between the two long-time allies. A senior Trump administration official said tariffs under Section 338 would be imposed on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods shortly after midnight on Saturday, Reuters reported. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had suspended trade negotiations with Washington and ordered Canada’s negotiators to return to Ottawa. He also vowed to retaliate dollar-for-dollar against the new US tariffs. “I have decided to suspend trade negotiations with the US and have directed Canada’s negotiators to return to Ottawa,” Carney said in a statement. He said Canadian negotiators had worked in good faith to protect the interests of Canadians throughout the talks but described last-minute changes to the U.S. proposals as “unfair” and “uneconomic.” Carney said the changes also raised questions about the reliability of any potential agreement. The decision came after three days of talks in Washington between Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The new measures affect a relatively small share of Canadian exports but come on top of existing U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel, lumber and automobiles. The latest tariffs could further strain Canada’s fragile economic recovery…