Trump says he will increase tariffs on all Canadian steel and aluminum to 50 pct

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Yonhap) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has instructed his commerce secretary to add an additional 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from Canada to bring the total tariff on the metals to 50 percent.

Trump made the announcement in a social media post as his administration is set to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports on Wednesday, as part of his drive to use tariffs to pare down America’s trade deficits, boost domestic manufacturing and achieve other policy goals.

“Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on ‘Electricity’ coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th,” he added.

In addition, he demanded that Canada immediately drop its “anti-American farmer tariff of 250 percent to 390 percent” on various U.S. dairy products.

Trump also warned that if other “egregious, long-time” Canadian tariffs are not dropped, he will substantially increase tariffs on cars coming into the U.S. on April 2, which he said will “essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada.”

“Those cars can easily be made in the USA!”