PM says Ottawa will defend workers and businesses following latest U.S. trade threats

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Canadian government will "steadfastly" defend workers and businesses following the latest trade threats by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In a post on social media, Carney says Canada will continue to work to secure a trade deal with the U.S. by a revised deadline of Aug. 1.

In a letter to Carney on Thursday, Trump threatened to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods by that date, evidently setting a new deadline for the trade talks that had been looking to wrap by July 21.

Trump wrote if Canada works to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States he may consider a tariff adjustment.

It is unclear whether there'd be any carve out for goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade in Trump's latest threats like there are under the so-called fentanyl tariffs announced earlier this year.

Canada also faces additional U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles, as well as a U.S. plan to introduce tariffs on copper, also on Aug. 1.