U.S. and Canada hold last-minute negotiations to prevent Trump's 50% tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Canada are negotiating in an effort to reach a truce on tariffs before a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. If no deal is reached, Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Please check your inbox to confirm. "We are negotiating," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Monday, speaking in French. "The negotiations are very intense and delicate.

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Scoop News DeskU.S · Published Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 3:26 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 6:03 AM UTC

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Last month, he imposed import taxes of 10% to 12.5% on 59 countries and the European Union — which together account for 99% of U.S. imports — for allegedly failing to have or to enforce restrictions on imports made from forced labor. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public." Carney and Trump spoke by phone Monday afternoon about the ongoing trade negotiations, Carney's office said, underscoring the last-minute push to reach a deal before Wednesday's deadline.

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