Trump tariffs fuel trade backlash

Donald Trump’s tariffs did not stay a Washington policy debate for long. Canada and the European Union answered with tariffs of their own within hours of new U.S. metal duties taking effect on March 12, 2025. (canada.ca) (cnbc.com) Canada said it would impose 25% reciprocal tariffs on C$29.8 billion worth of U.S. products starting March 13, 2025. Ottawa broke that into C$12.6 billion in steel, C$3 billion in aluminum, and C$14.2 billion in additional goods such as tools, computers, servers and sports equipment. (canada.ca) Those measures came on top of an earlier Canadian package. Reuters reported that Canada had already placed 25% tariffs on C$30 billion in U.S. goods on March 6, 2025, after Trump imposed duties tied to fentanyl and delayed broader tariffs for 30 days. (ca.investing.com) The European Union moved the same day Trump’s metal tariffs took effect. CNBC reported that Brussels announced countermeasures on 26 billion euros, about $28.3 billion, of U.S. goods. (cnbc.com) Trump widened the fight again on April 2, 2025. He announced a 10% baseline tariff on imports from nearly all countries, with higher country-specific rates for many trading partners, while existing Canada and Mexico measures stayed under separate rules. (cnbc.com) (forbes.com) By January 12, 2026, the Congressional Research Service said Trump had increased tariffs on imports from all global partners since returning to office on January 20, 2025. The report said some partners retaliated, while the administration also struck 12 framework statements and temporary tariff truces with countries including the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the European Union. (congress.gov) The backlash was not limited to customs schedules. CNBC reported in July 2025 that 71% of Canadians said they planned to buy fewer U.S. goods that year, citing data from retail consultancy dunnhumby. (cnbc.com) The same CNBC report said Canada was the United States’ second-largest food export market in 2024 at $28.4 billion, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data. It also said the World Travel & Tourism Council expected the loss of international travel spending to cost the U.S. economy $12.5 billion in 2025. (cnbc.com) Canadian officials framed the dispute as larger than steel prices. Politico reported that Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said on March 12, 2025, that “the only constant” in the trade war was Trump’s talk of annexing Canada, while Prime Minister Mark Carney later said Canada would not let the United States dictate terms for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement review. (politico.com) (msn.com) That is the trade backlash in concrete terms: tariffs first hit steel and aluminum, then spread into food, household goods, autos, travel and diplomacy. By early 2026, the dispute had become a rolling negotiation with retaliation still built into the system. (congress.gov) (canada.ca)