Canada to file WTO claim against Trump tariffs, seek redress under regional free trade deal

Ottawa also unveiled a list of 1,256 American goods it plans to target on Tuesday in first round of counter tariffs worth billions

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The Canadian and US flags fly near the Canada-US border in Blackpool, Quebec. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:45am, 3 Feb 2025Updated: 2:05pm, 3 Feb 2025

Canada will file a World Trade Organization claim against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and also seek redress under a regional free trade deal, a Canadian official said on Sunday.

“The Canadian government clearly considers these tariffs to be a violation of trade commitments that the United States has taken,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told a briefing.

After weeks of threats, Trump on Saturday signed off on 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports except energy resources, which will be hit with a 10 per cent levy.

“We will obviously pursue the legal recourse that we believe we have through the agreements that we share with the United States,” the official said, citing the WTO and US-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump himself signed in 2018.

A review of the pact, which a Canadian official called a “gold standard agreement”, was expected to be held next year.

Ottawa also unveiled on Sunday a list of 1,256 American goods it plans to target in a first round of counter tariffs worth C$30 billion (US$20.6 billion) billion starting on Tuesday.