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The trade war between Canada and the United States is on pause after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed Monday to new measures addressing President Donald Trump’s concerns over fentanyl trafficking across the border, including the appointment of a “fentanyl czar.” The Canadian government moved swiftly to speak about the promise on Tuesday.“What is our objective today? Stop the tariffs. We are going to do what we have to do in order to strengthen this border…because there is so much on the line for everyday Canadians,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said at the Emerson, Man., border on Tuesday.“The prime minister signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl that will be backed by a $200 million investment. We are going to be appointing our first fentanyl czar...

As trade tensions rise between China and the United States, Canada is not out of the woods yet, leaving some to wonder if a trade war is inevitable. On Monday, the U.S. and Canada agreed to pause tariffs for 30 days to negotiate new security measures at the border, but the economic standoff between China and the U.S. continues.While the temporary reprieve brings a moment of relief for Canadians, uncertainty still lingers, leaving many Canadians questioning whether a trade war is merely delayed.“President Trump’s crushing 25 per cent tariffs are a complete betrayal of the historic bond between our countries. It is a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend,” British Columbia Premier David Eby said Saturday in response to Trump’s tariff threat.While trade disputes are no...

Doug Ford’s personal views about U.S. President Donald Trump bubbled to the surface of Ontario’s snap election campaign after candid comments by the Progressive Conservative party leader were picked up at a campaign stop. Speaking to a small group of people at his local campaign headquarters, Ford appeared to explain his initial admiration for Trump in a moment caught on hot mic.“On election day, was I happy this guy won? One hundred per cent I was,” Ford can be heard saying in the clip. “Then the guy pulled out the knife and f****** yanked it into us.”On Monday when Ford made the comments, Trump was planning to level 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States. By dinner time the same day, that threat had been pushed off until at least early March.Ford’s team did not resp...

China countered President Donald Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports Tuesday, as well as announcing an antitrust investigation into Google and other trade measures. U.S. tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico were also set to go into effect Tuesday before Trump agreed to a 30-day pause as the two countries acted to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. Trump planned to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next few days.The Chinese response was “measured,” said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “I don’t think they want the trade war escalating,” he said. “And they see this example from Canada and Mexico and probably they are hoping for the s...

Uncertainty still hangs over the Canadian economy despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a 30-day pause in tariffs that were to take effect today. The temporary reprieve halts — at least for now — a continental trade war that economists on both sides of the border warned would raise prices.Trump’s decision meant Canada and the provinces also halted their moves to retaliate including with tariffs and bans on U.S. alcohol sales north of the border.Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy.On Monday, following two phone calls with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said the tariffs would be off the table for 30 days to see if the two countries could reach a “fin...