America 'not at war' with Canada, insists U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

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Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-31 18:00:16.0
Tags: [National, Trade, Economy, Finance, Defence]

United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed claims of a trade war with Canada during an interview with CNBC, criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for walking away from a trade deal and imposing 50 percent retaliatory tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian exports. The U.S. previously imposed these tariffs after trade negotiations collapsed due to disputes over auto industry terms, restrictions on foreign trade deals, and protections for French-language media and bilingual product labelling. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is scheduled to meet with Bessent and G20 counterparts in Asheville, North Carolina, while provincial leaders including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have voiced concerns that the ongoing tariff escalations will harm small businesses and regional economies.