Day 5
Canada will match new U.S. tariffs after trade talks with Trump collapse.
The United States imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods early Saturday after last-ditch trade talks with Ottawa collapsed. Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended negotiations and said Canada will match the U.S. duties “dollar for dollar” with retaliatory tariffs beginning Sept. 8. The U.S. levies cover about 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the United States, including alcohol, hockey equipment and tongue depressors. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada declined to finalize a deal; Carney said Washington made last-minute demands on autos, trade policy and sovereignty.
The angles
Economic Damage
Leans LeftThe breakdown in trade with Canada will hurt major industries and ordinary consumers. Tariffs and retaliation make both countries worse off, with the United States and Canada each facing avoidable economic costs.
Tariff threat wrong
Leans LeftTrump’s Canada tariff threat was legally dubious, economically damaging, and an unjustified pressure tactic against a close ally; Carney was right to reject unreasonable last-minute demands.
Full coverage →
A federal judge ruled the Trump administration's 75-country visa freeze illegal.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan vacated the Trump administration’s January State Department policy suspending immigrant visa processing or issuance for nationals of 75 countries. The policy, issued under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, covered nearly 40% of the world’s nations, including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan and Iran. Vargas ruled the policy exceeded Rubio’s statutory authority and violated the Immigration and Nationality Act’s bar on nationality-based discrimination. The order sets aside visa refusals based solely on the policy and requires those applications to receive individual evaluations.
Full coverage →
The Postal Service finalized mail-in ballot rules as courts moved to block enforcement.
The U.S. Postal Service issued a 95-page final rule requiring states that use USPS for mail-in ballots to provide voter information, including lists of ballot recipients. The rule implements President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order and says USPS would deliver mail ballots only for states that comply. USPS acknowledged court injunctions blocking enforcement and said it will not apply the rule to this year’s Nov. 3 midterms unless those orders are lifted. The rule is effective Aug. 21, with Federal Register publication set for Aug. 26.
Full coverage →