Canada filed a case against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday, marking the latest effort by a key U.S. ally to put pressure on the Trump administration to remove stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Canada joins the E.U. in dragging a mounting trade dispute with the U.S. to the WTO, which regulates international trade.
“These unilateral tariffs, imposed under a false pretext of safeguarding U.S. national security, are inconsistent with the United States’ international trade obligations and WTO rules,” Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on Friday.
“Canada will closely collaborate with the European Union, which also filed a WTO challenge today, as well as with other like-minded countries, on opposing these tariffs,” she said.
Despite worldwide objection, the U.S. administration decided in March to impose a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and a 10-percent tariff on aluminium imports.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a decision not to extend the temporary steel and aluminium tariff exemptions against the EU, Canada, and Mexico, causing strong criticism.
The Canadian foreign minister said on Thursday that her country will impose retaliatory tariffs on up to 16.6 billion Canadian dollars (12.8 billion U.S. dollars) worth of U.S. steel, aluminium and other products.
The E.U., Canada and Mexico have already threatened retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, ranging from blue jeans to yogurt.
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