Trump threatens EU with tariffs if closer relations with Canada

Miriam Braun

Trump threatens the EU with tariffs if it develops closer relations with Canada

US President Donald Trump has threatened the European Union with further tariffs if Canada receives so-called associate membership in the EU. Such a step could constitute a “hostile act,” Trump said on Wednesday (local time). Associate membership would enable Canada to work more closely with the EU without joining the association as a full member.

Trump made his threat dependent on the intention of European leaders. "If the intention is good, that's fine. If the intention is bad, we will impose very high tariffs on Europe," he said. Trump also indicated that the USA could stop trade with Europe in certain areas.

Trump described the prospect of Canada's closer ties with the EU as "ridiculous" and called the US neighbor a "terrible trading partner."

Lydia Wolter

Beijing: China and USA aim for tariff reductions

According to the Chinese government, China and the USA hope to reach an early agreement on reducing import tariffs. This increased expectations that a corresponding agreement could be announced when the heads of state and government of both countries meet in two weeks.

Negotiators sought "timely" mutual tariff cuts on goods worth $30 billion each, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Huang Ling said in a weekly news conference. The amount refers to each of the two sides, reported the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Lydia Wolter

Canada will impose counter tariffs on US imports starting Tuesday

There is no end in sight to the customs dispute between the USA and neighboring Canada. At the request of the German Press Agency, the Canadian Ministry of Finance confirmed that counter-tariffs on US imports will come into force on Tuesday night (September 8th, 00:01 a.m. local time).

According to previous information from Canada, products affected include steel and aluminum, household appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics. The tariffs will be up to 50 percent on imports from the United States worth $27.6 billion.

Andreas Dörnfelder

US tourism boards are courting Canadian tourists

Despite the tensions, tourism officials in the U.S. are trying to attract Canadian visitors to tourist attractions like Graceland. The US state of New York launched the “NY Loves Canada” advertising campaign in the summer, offering discounts on hotels, restaurants and attractions.

In Las Vegas, hotels equated the Canadian dollar with the US dollar so that Canadians could get more for their money. Tourism officials from Las Vegas visited Canada in August to meet with travel advisors, tour operators and airport representatives.

“We're here to make sure you know we like Canada,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President Steve Hill said during his visit to Vancouver.

Canadian tourists have traditionally had the lead when it comes to overnight stays by international visitors in the USA. But in 2025, Canadian residents spent around $2.4 billion less on trips to the United States compared to the previous year, according to data from Statistics Canada.

Lara Dehari

Retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of goods – Canada responds to US tariffs

Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of U.S. imports, a day after Donald Trump said he would increase tariffs on Canadian cars. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne on Tuesday released a 99-page list of hundreds of U.S. goods that will face higher tariffs in Canada starting Sept. 8, including steel, dairy products and agricultural equipment.

“When the U.S. asked too much and offered too little, we chose to stand up for Canadians,” said

Champagne, referring to the trade talks that failed on Friday. Canada will impose counter tariffs of 15, 25 or 50 percent on these products, in line with the rates Washington has applied to the same categories of Canadian exports, he said.

Julius Stockheim

Auto industry: Concern over US tariff threats against Canada

The German automotive industry is concerned about the ongoing trade dispute between the USA and Canada and the recent tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. He had announced that he would increase tariffs on cars, commercial vehicles, car parts and steel from Canada to 50 percent at the beginning of 2027. Numerous German suppliers have production facilities in Canada and supply the USA from there, as the Association of the Automotive Industry explained on Tuesday.

In addition, German manufacturers are investing in battery technology in Canada. Conversely, vehicles from the USA are exported to Canada. The industry is dependent on functioning trade relationships. “Constant changes in tariffs and trade rules as well as new threats create uncertainty and put a strain on investments,” explained the association.

Luke Bay

Trump is considering new tariffs against China

According to AP information, US President Donald Trump is considering introducing new tariffs against China. This is intended to punish the world's second-largest economy for flooding the global market with particularly cheap goods, as three people familiar with the deliberations told the AP. Accordingly, Trump is considering a new tariff rate of 7.5 percent.

But administration officials say such a tariff would not jeopardize the year-long trade peace between Washington and Beijing or a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting is expected to take place in the White House at the end of September.

Miriam Braun

Circles: Canada wants to impose retaliatory tariffs against the USA

Canada plans to announce retaliatory tariffs against the USA on Tuesday. A government official familiar with the plans told the AP news agency. This intensifies a trade dispute between the two countries, which has escalated significantly since the failure of negotiations with the government of US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday (local time) Canada may need to move away from reciprocating US tariffs dollar for dollar. Instead, more targeted countermeasures could be taken. The government is exploring various options to protect Canadian workers and businesses.

Lara Dehari

Trump announces 50 percent tariffs on vehicles from Canada

US President Donald Trump has announced tariffs of 50 percent on vehicles, vehicle parts and steel for Canada in the trade dispute. The regulation will come into force on January 1st, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday. With “ridiculously high tariffs” on US agricultural products, Canada is making “life impossible for great American patriots” and should no longer be treated like a US state.

Trump had just announced tariffs of 50 percent on Canadian goods worth around $20 billion (a good 17 billion euros) on Saturday. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory measures of the same magnitude starting September 8th.

Julius Stockheim

Business calls for new negotiations in the USA-Canada customs dispute

After the escalation in the customs dispute between the USA and Canada, business associations in both countries are warning of the consequences and are urging a return to the negotiating table. New tariffs could increase costs for US businesses and consumers, disrupt key supply chains and strain economic ties between the two countries, said Joshua Bolten, chairman of the Business Roundtable.

Both governments should return to the negotiating table and abolish harmful tariffs, demanded Bolten. The head of the Canadian Industry Association made a similar statement: "Our wish would be for them to return to the negotiating table quickly. But I don't think that will happen in the foreseeable future," Dennis Darby told the Globe and Mail newspaper on Saturday.

Jeanne Vesper

“Dollar for dollar” – Canada announces counter tariffs on US goods

After the collapse of tariff negotiations with the USA, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney announced counter tariffs from September 8th. The measures would focus on sectors such as steel, dairy products, agricultural equipment and electrical appliances, Carney said. “This is a targeted response to protect and defend our industries and enable them to compete with U.S. products in the Canadian market.”

Negotiations between the two countries had previously ended without an agreement. The US is imposing a 50 percent tariff on a range of Canadian goods worth around $28 billion. The tariffs affect, among other things, wine, hockey sticks, furniture and dairy products.

Read more about it here:

Julius Stockheim

Brazilian President Lula talks to Trump about tariffs

Brazil and the USA want to continue their negotiations over tariffs imposed by Washington on Brazilian goods. As the office of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Friday, Lula spoke to US President Donald Trump in an 80-minute phone call about trade, organized crime and global conflicts. They said they had agreed to keep discussions about tariffs open. The United States has imposed new tariffs on Brazilian exports that could be as high as 37.5 percent on some products.

Marc Renner

Julius Stockheim

US trade dispute with Canada: Whiskey and wine could untie knots

Bourbon from Kentucky, whiskey and Californian wine: In the trade conflict between Canada and the USA, the sales stops for American alcohol in Canadian provinces are at the center of the negotiations. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing for provinces to allow the products back into their stores to reach an agreement with the United States, according to the leaders of two Canadian provinces.

Trump announced new tariffs of 50 percent on a number of products in July that were supposed to come into force on Wednesday. Shortly before the deadline, the US President announced a postponement. Since then, negotiations have been going on under high pressure. According to Canadian media reports, in addition to alcohol, this also involves steel, aluminum and dairy products.

Sarah Sendner

Trump suspends tariffs against Canada for three days

The USA and Canada agreed to postpone the measures shortly before new US tariffs came into force. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (local time) that the planned tariffs of 50 percent on Canadian imports would be suspended for three days. This gives both countries time for further negotiations.

Trump wrote on social media in the evening that he had suspended the tariffs because the USA and Canada had reached an agreement - subject to the finalization of the agreements.

The new taxes would have hit Canadian goods worth around $20 billion. These include, among other things, ice hockey sticks and medical wooden spatulas. The affected goods account for about five percent of Canada's annual exports to the United States.

Sarah Sendner

Canada and the USA are negotiating to avoid new punitive tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tried to avert new punitive tariffs in a last-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The 50 percent tariffs on goods worth around $20 billion are set to come into force at midnight. It was the second conversation between the two heads of state and government this week. However, there was uncertainty about the status of the weeks of intensive negotiations. Carney's office confirmed the conversation but gave no further details. A statement from the White House and the US Trade Representative was initially not available.

Existing U.S. tariffs on Canadian vehicles are one of the main points of contention, according to two industry officials familiar with the negotiations. The sides have therefore discussed a reduction in tariffs from 25 to 15 percent. A sticking point is the calculation basis for further customs discounts. The government in Washington wants only content produced in the USA to be credited. However, Canada urges consideration of all North American content, including Canadian and Mexican portions.

Lydia Wolter

Threatening tariffs: Canada and the USA are negotiating shortly before the end

Shortly before the threatened entry into force of US President Donald Trump's tariffs against Canada, the two neighboring countries are trying to reach an agreement. “We are negotiating,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Monday. “The negotiations are very intensive and delicate.”

Trump has announced 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian products that would come into effect on Wednesday. Hockey sticks would be affected, among other things.

Sabrina Frangos

White House: USA imposes tariffs on drones and components

US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on the import of drones and their components. The White House said he signed a corresponding order on Thursday (local time). For drones of a certain size or with capabilities that are of particular importance to US national security, an ad valorem duty of 100 percent will be due. A tariff of 25 percent will be levied on smaller models without these features, according to the US President's Office. Drones and components from the European Union (EU), Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan would be subject to 15 percent customs duty. For imports from Great Britain this is ten percent. According to the information, the tariffs will come into force 21 days after signing. A deadline of 180 days applies to less sensitive drone components.

Sarah Sendner

USA imposes tariffs and minimum prices on polysilicon products

US President Donald Trump has imposed minimum prices and tariffs on polysilicon products to protect domestic industry from Chinese competition. The presidential office announced on Thursday that a 15 percent tariff would be levied on the material. In addition, from now on