U.S. and China agree to slash tariffs: Here's what we know
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CTV News' U.S. political analyst Eric Ham explains what the rollback means and whether it's a deal between China and the U.S.
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Globe and Mail
28 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Trump travel ban could damage longstanding relations with African countries, leaders warn
The latest sweeping travel ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump could damage relations with African countries that have taken decades to build, African leaders say. Mr. Trump announced on Wednesday night that his administration is banning all visits to the United States by citizens from 12 countries, including seven African states. He also introduced restrictions on entry by citizens from seven other countries, including three in Africa. Trump issues travel ban for a dozen countries set to go into effect Monday The African Union Commission, the AU's administrative branch, reacted swiftly on Thursday, voicing alarm at the Trump announcement. It said it was 'concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades.' The AU Commission appealed to the Trump administration to adopt a more 'consultative approach' and to engage in dialogue with the affected countries. It urged Washington to act in a 'balanced' and 'evidence-based' manner. The travel ban, set to take effect on Monday, would ban visitors from Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Chad, Haiti, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Myanmar, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea. Several countries on this list – including Sudan, Somalia, Myanmar, Yemen and Libya – have suffered huge damage from armed conflicts or militia violence in recent years, with large numbers of refugees fleeing from their wars. In some cases, their official governments do not control all of their territory, making it impossible for them to comply with U.S. demands for screening and vetting of their travellers. Trump suspends visas for foreign students seeking to attend Harvard The policy will also increase restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Sierra Leone, Togo, Venezuela, Cuba, Laos and Turkmenistan. Mr. Trump complained that some countries have deficient screening processes and are reluctant to take back their citizens if they exceed the time limits on their U.S. visas. 'We don't want them,' he said.
Globe and Mail
28 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
What is Trump's new travel ban and which countries are affected? Here's what to know
Citing national security concerns, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday banned citizens of 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, from entering the United States and restricted access for citizens of seven other nations, resurrecting and expanding a hallmark policy of his first term. Here's what to know about the new rules. The travel ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The policy change restricts entry for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and do not hold a valid visa. The policy takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. and does not have an end date. Since returning to the White House, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement that has pushed the limits of executive power and clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The travel ban results from a Jan. 20 executive order Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. The aim is to 'protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes,' the administration said. In a video released on social media, Trump tied the new ban to a terror attack Sunday in Boulder, Colo., saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa. Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public-safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. His findings rely extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of visa overstays of tourists, business visitors and students who arrive by air and sea, singling out countries with high percentages of remaining after their visas expired. 'We don't want them,' Trump said. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban makes exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there. The list can be changed, the administration said in a document circulated Wednesday evening, if authorities of designated countries make 'material improvements' to their own rules and procedures. New countries can be added 'as threats emerge around the world.' International aid groups and refugee resettlement organizations roundly condemned the new ban. 'This policy is not about national security – it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America. Trump travel ban could damage longstanding relations with African countries, leaders warn The African Union Commission expressed concern Thursday about the 'the potential negative impact' of the ban on educational exchanges, business ties and broader diplomatic relations. 'The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the U.S. administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,' the commission said in a statement. During his first term, Trump issued an executive order in January, 2017, banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travellers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty, as well as business people, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The ban affected various categories of travellers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
Globe and Mail
28 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Canada's trade deficit hits record high $7.1-billion as tariffs hammer exports
Canadian exports cratered in April and the trade deficit soared to a record high, as U.S. tariffs hammered demand for Canadian goods and companies pulled back after rushing products across the border. Canada's merchandise exports dropped 10.8 per cent while imports fell 3.5 per cent, compared to the previous month. The country's trade deficit, the difference between imports and exports, ballooned to $7.1-billion from $2.3-billion the prior month – the highest recorded, and far above analyst expectations. Trade with the U.S. accounted for the collapse. Total exports heading south across the border fell 15.7 per cent in nominal terms and 9.1 per cent in volume terms. Exports declined in 10 out of 11 categories, led by a sharp pullback in motor vehicles and parts, consumer goods and crude oil. Imports from the U.S. dropped 10.8 per cent in April. Carney faces pressure to retaliate against Trump's steel, aluminum tariffs The decline in trade follows a barrage of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump over the past three months. This includes tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles, as well as on all goods that don't comply with the continental free trade agreement's rules of origin. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent. Mr. Trump's aggressive protectionism was also apparent in the latest U.S. trade numbers, published Thursday. U.S. imports from the rest of the world fell 16 per cent, the largest drop ever, while exports rose 3 per cent. That caused the U.S. trade deficit – a major focus for Mr. Trump – to contract sharply to US$61.5-billion in April from US$138.3-billion in March. The drop in cross-border trade is partly the result of Canadian and U.S. companies pulling back after racing to get goods across the border and stockpiling products earlier this year to front-run tariffs. 'As observed with many products, amid threats by the United States to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, exports of passenger cars and light trucks saw high levels in the three months preceding April,' Statistics Canada said, explaining the 17.4-per-cent drop in vehicle and parts exports. 'After tariffs on foreign motor vehicles were imposed by the United States at the beginning of the month, manufacturers in Canada reduced production in April, resulting in a sharp drop in these exports.' The Canadian trade numbers were also impacted by a large appreciation in the Canadian dollar in April. Most import and export transactions happen in U.S. dollars which must be converted back into Canadian dollars to compile the monthly statistics, Statscan said. 'All other things being equal, when the Canadian dollar appreciates against the US dollar, monthly trade values expressed in Canadian dollars are lower,' it noted. Still, the price effect only explains part of the contraction in trade. Export volumes were down sharply. Meanwhile, there was a 2.9 per cent increase in exports to countries other than the U.S., led by exports of 'various products' to China, unwrought gold to the United Kingdom, iron ore and wheat to Algeria and potash to Brazil. This suggests some trade diversification is happening, but the increase was much smaller than the 24.8 per cent jump in non-U.S. trade seen in March. 'We are cautiously optimistic that April's data marks the worst for the trade figures … We expect some rebound in exports over the next couple of months as producers adjust their output to be USMCA-compliant and the drag from the end of tariff front-running passes,' Bradley Saunders, North American economist at Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients. 'Nevertheless, the trade data present a downside risk to the advance estimate that GDP rose by 0.1 per cent month-to-month in April and yesterday's doubling in the US' steel and aluminum tariffs serves as a valuable reminder that Canadian exporters remain at President Trump's whim,' he wrote.
