The United States has imposed new 50 percent tariffs on selected Canadian goods after trade talks collapsed over the weekend. Republican politicians, including Senator Susan Collins, are now criticizing the measures publicly.
Negotiations between Washington and Ottawa on a new trade agreement broke down over the weekend, and President Donald Trump let a new round of 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian imports proceed. DR reports that the increase has triggered unusually strong reactions inside the United States.
According to DR’s US correspondent Trine Maria Ilsøe, politicians inside the Republican Party have begun distancing themselves from the tariff increases. One of them is Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who published a statement over the weekend through her office. She said the shifting negotiations mean higher costs, greater risk and more uncertainty for businesses in Maine, and urged both sides back to the table.
Collins is running for reelection in Maine in the November midterms, where the economy is a central issue, Ilsøe notes. Per DR’s correspondent, voters are worried about the cost of shopping and filling up the car, and Republican candidates want to be seen calling for lower prices.
The tariffs cover goods ranging from hockey sticks to agricultural products. As reported by the Associated Press, they affect around 5 percent of Canada‘s annual exports to the United States, worth about 20 billion dollars. The listed products include wine, cement and various consumer goods.
Reuters reports that the tariffs entered into force early Saturday, August 22, after the talks failed to produce a deal. The measures had been paused for three days earlier in the week. According to CNBC, Trump announced that pause on August 19, writing on Truth Social that the two countries had a deal.
The tariffs were first announced on July 20, 2026. A White House fact sheet from that date describes them as a response to Canada’s alleged discriminatory treatment of US products in sectors including cars, alcohol and dairy, with carve-outs for energy, potash, fish and critical minerals. Axios notes that Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which no president has used in this way since the law was adopted.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the collapse at a press conference Saturday. In remarks published by his office, he said the United States introduced new conditions that were economically unreasonable and unfair, and that Washington asked for too much and offered too little. The two countries had negotiated for more than a year.
Carney also announced retaliatory tariffs, dollar for dollar, from September 8. They will target US steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and electronics.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has instead blamed Canada, telling Reuters that Canadian negotiators walked away from a deal with very favorable terms. Ilsøe describes a large blame game now underway, with each side saying the other added last-minute conditions.
