Canada in ‘no man's land' as new U.S. tariffs take effect, former foreign minister warns
Canada is bracing for further tension in its trade relationship with the United States, after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs.
'This is bad news,' said former foreign affairs minister Peter MacKay in an interview with CTV News Channel Sunday.
'It's bad news for the markets. It's bad news for many sectors on both sides of the border. … There is a lot of impetus now to try to bring this to an end.'
Trump hit Canadian goods with a 35-per-cent tariff on Friday—targeting products not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
The White House said the decision was made in response to Canada's 'failure to co-operate' on stemming fentanyl imports and Ottawa's retaliatory duties.
Trump also introduced 50-per-cent tariffs on semi-finished copper products and maintained existing duties on Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's trade minister, said Sunday he expects Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump to speak 'over the next number of days' in a renewed effort to de-escalate the dispute.
MacKay, meanwhile, says high-level talks are essential, especially given Trump's direct involvement.
'Having personal discussions with our prime minister … is probably the only way we are going to see this trade agreement finally get done,' he said.
MacKay warned that while some 75 per cent of goods crossing the border remain tariff-free, critical sectors like steel, aluminum, copper and autos are facing sharp new costs.
He also cautioned that the trade war risks turning personal.
'We've seen what happens, as recently as with the former Prime Minister Trudeau, when it does get personal,' he said.
'The Canadian economy ultimately and quickly pays a price.'
Trump signed the executive order late Thursday.
The Aug. 1 target date floated for a potential deal passed without progress, and there is still no clear timeline for resolution.
MacKay described this current phase as 'no man's land.'
'We are not even where we used to be,' he said.
'Let's just hope that (Trump) doesn't go wildly off in all directions on the eve of getting to some sort of a finish line.'
With files from the Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
15 minutes ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canadians can no longer choose 'X' for gender when applying for Nexus card
OTTAWA — Canadians renewing or applying for Nexus travel cards can no longer choose an X gender marker, following an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump that said the American government will only recognize male or female. Article content The change took effect in February 2025. Article content Article content New applicants and people renewing their membership can apply using a Canadian passport with the 'X' gender identifier but will have to select 'male' or 'female' for their Nexus membership, said Luke Reimer, spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency. Article content Article content Current Nexus cards identifying members by a gender other than 'male' or 'female' will remain valid until they expire, the spokesperson said. Article content Article content Nexus memberships are valid for five years and are meant to speed up border crossings between Canada and the United States. Article content Canadians first got the option to pick an 'X' gender marker on their Nexus passes in 2022. Between implementation in 2022 and March 2025, about 550 Nexus applications were submitted with 'X' as the gender identifier. Article content The CBSA spokesperson said that while Canada and the U.S. share management of the Nexus program, the application process is housed on a U.S system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Article content The spokesperson said that while the Government of Canada recognizes the 'X' gender identifier, it can't guarantee entry or transit through other countries. Article content Article content 'Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada,' Reimer said in a statement. 'As a result, it is important for travellers to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in the destination country.' Article content Article content Reimer said that the CBSA itself recognizes that individuals may self-identify with a gender identity other than male or female. Article content 'What we are seeing right now is a policy that is at odds with our own policy and inconsistent and incompatible with it,' Sarah Mikhail, an associate lawyer at Smith Immigration Law, said, adding that it's too early to tell how Canada's passport policy could be affected.
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Informa TechTarget to Announce Q2 2025 Financial Results on August 12, 2025
TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT) ('Informa TechTarget' or the 'Company'), a leading growth accelerator for the B2B Technology sector, today announced that it will release its Q2 2025 financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2025 before the market opens on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. The Company's Chief Executive Officer, Gary Nugent, and Chief Financial Officer, Dan Noreck, will host a live conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on that day to discuss the Company's financial results and outlook. The Q2 2025 financial results will be available prior to the conference call and webcast on the investor relations section of the Company's website at Conference Call Dial-In Information: United States (Toll Free): 1-833-470-1428 United States: 1-404-975-4839 United Kingdom (Toll Free): +44 808 189 6484 United Kingdom: +44 20 8068 2558 Global Dial-in Numbers Access code: 967110 Please access the call at least 10 minutes prior to the time the conference is set to begin. Please ask to be joined into the Informa TechTarget call. Conference Call Webcast Information: This webcast can be accessed via Informa TechTarget's website at Conference Call Replay Information: A replay of the conference call will be available via telephone beginning one (1) hour after the conference call through September 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To hear the replay: United States (Toll Free): 1-866-813-9403 United States: 1-929-458-6194 Access Code: 703085 A web version will also be available for replay during the same period on Informa TechTarget's website at About Informa TechTarget TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), which also refers to itself as Informa TechTarget, informs, influences and connects the world's technology buyers and sellers, helping accelerate growth from R&D to ROI. With a vast reach of over 220 highly targeted technology-specific websites and over 50 million permissioned first-party audience members, Informa TechTarget has a unique understanding of and insight into the technology market. Underpinned by those audiences and their data, we offer expert-led, data-driven, and digitally enabled services that have the potential to deliver significant impact and measurable outcomes to our clients: Trusted information that shapes the industry and informs investment Intelligence and advice that guides and influences strategy Advertising that grows reputation and establishes thought leadership Custom content that engages and prompts action Intent and demand generation that more precisely targets and converts Informa TechTarget is headquartered in Boston, MA and has offices in 19 global locations. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn.
National Post
15 minutes ago
- National Post
VIQ Solutions to Report Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results on Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Article content MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — VIQ Solutions Inc. ('VIQ' or the 'Company') (TSX:VQS), a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services, will release its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, after market close on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. VIQ management will host a conference call to discuss these results on Thursday, August 14 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. Article content Investors may access a live webcast of the call on the Company's website at or by dialing 1-888-440-4052 (North America toll-free) or +1-646-960-0827 (international) to be connected to the call by an operator using conference ID number 4983233. Participants should dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Article content Article content A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website through the same link approximately one hour after the conference call concludes. Article content About VIQ Solutions Inc. Article content VIQ Solutions is a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services. VIQ offers a seamless, comprehensive solution suite that delivers intelligent automation, enhanced with human review, to drive transformation in the way content is captured, secured, and repurposed into actionable information. The cyber-secure, AI technology and services platform are implemented in the most rigid security environments including criminal justice, legal, insurance, government, corporate finance, media, and transcription service provider markets, enabling them to improve the quality and accessibility of evidence, to easily identify predictive insights and to achieve digital transformation faster and at a lower cost. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact: Article content
