WTO Confirms Canada’s Complaint Against U.S. Over New Tariffs
- International Affairs Nato & Alliance North America
Shreya Naskar- 0
- 3 minutes read
March 5, 2025 – Canada has formally initiated a dispute with the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the latest round of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. The WTO confirmed the complaint on Wednesday, following a similar move by China against fresh U.S. levies on Chinese goods. The dispute stems from the Trump administration’s decision to impose additional tariffs, including a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. While the U.S. initially announced the tariffs on January 20, 2025, after President Trump’s return to office, the measures were briefly paused before taking effect. The administration justified the move by accusing both countries of failing to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Additionally, a separate order on Monday increased the tariff on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%, further escalating trade tensions.
Reacting strongly to Washington’s move, Canada’s ambassador to the WTO, Nadia Theodore, announced on LinkedIn that she had filed an official complaint on behalf of the Canadian government. She stated that the U.S. left Canada with “no choice” but to take legal action at the WTO, citing the tariffs as “unjustified and damaging“ to the Canadian economy. A WTO official confirmed to AFP that Canada launched dispute proceedings on Tuesday. This action follows a similar complaint by Beijing, which also objected to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned Washington’s tariff policy, calling it a “dumb trade war” and accusing President Trump of attempting to weaken Canada’s economy. He further suggested that the U.S. was deliberately trying to destabilize Canada to increase its influence over the country. These latest tariffs add to the ongoing strain in U.S.-Canada trade relations. The United States and Canada have historically been key trading partners, but repeated disputes over tariffs and trade agreements have caused friction in recent years. With both Canada and China now filing formal complaints at the WTO, pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to justify its tariff strategy. The outcome of these disputes at the WTO could have significant implications for global trade and North American economic stability. For now, Canada remains firm in its stance against the U.S. tariffs, signalling that the trade battle is far from over.
