"From day one, we have been focused on building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad," said Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
Canada will impose a 25% tariff on a wide range of fish and seafood products imported from the United States from 8 September, as part of its response to new US tariffs on Canadian goods.
The measures cover numerous seafood categories, including Atlantic salmon, trout, lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters, scallops and mussels, according to a product list published by Canada’s Department of Finance. Fresh and chilled fish, frozen products, fillets and several other forms of seafood are also included.
The counter-tariffs will take effect from 8 September and apply to goods originating in the US. Products already in transit to Canada when the measures enter into force will be exempt.
Canada announced the measures after the US imposed new tariffs on CAD 27.6bn (USD 17.1bn/EUR19.9bn) of Canadian goods from 22 August. The Canadian government said it would respond “dollar for dollar, rate for rate”, imposing tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% across an equivalent value of US imports.
The Department of Finance specifically identified fish and seafood among the goods facing the 25% Canadian tariff. Other sectors targeted by the broader package include steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.
The measures follow the breakdown of the latest round of negotiations between the two countries.
On 21 August, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada was suspending trade talks with the US, saying last-minute changes to the terms proposed by Washington were “unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal”.
“At midnight tonight, the U.S. intends to impose a 50% tariff on roughly $28 billion of Canadian goods. Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses,” Carney said.
Alongside the retaliatory tariffs, the Canadian government has announced CAD 7.5bn (EUR 4.6bn/USD 5.4bn) in new and expanded support measures for Canadian workers and businesses affected by US tariffs.
The package includes additional financing and liquidity programmes for businesses, aiming to help companies diversify, and to provide support for workers affected by trade disruption. The measures may be expanded, the Canadian government said, depending on assessments of sectors newly-affected by US tariffs.
