Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 per cent on more than 800 American products from 8 September, directly targeting key Republican strongholds ahead of the US midterm elections in a move Ottawa openly admits is designed to maximise political pressure.
The measures, unveiled by Ottawa on Tuesday, mirror duties Washington imposed on roughly $20bn (£16bn) of Canadian exports, with President Donald Trump citing American economic interests and long-running grievances over trade imbalances.