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Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Canada and Carney vows to ‘intensify’ trade talks
US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on a wide range of goods imported from Canada, in retaliation for what he called “unequal treatment” of US cars, dairy and alcohol.
Everyday consumer items like wine and hockey sticks and industrial goods such as cement are among the goods targeted. However, several key exports will be spared, such as energy, potash, critical minerals and fish.
Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by saying Canada stood ready to “intensify” trade talks with US in the coming weeks.
The White House said the duties would take effect in 30 days and mark a major escalation in trade tensions between the North American neighbours.
The new duties apply to all covered goods regardless of whether the product was included under the existing free trade agreement between Canada, the US and Mexico, known as the USMCA.
“This is the latest in a series of unilateral US trade actions that began with the US imposing a series of tariffs in direct violation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement,” Carney said in a statement on X.
He also cited “threats to Canadian sovereignty”, a possible reference to Trump’s calls to make America’s northern neighbour the 51st US state.
Monday’s import taxes build on trade barriers already in place between the two nations.
The US has been maintaining active tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on Canadian steel, aluminum and copper. Washington also charges a 35% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber, alongside a 25% tax on non-US parts in cars.
Canada has its own 25% counter-tariff on selected imports of American steel, aluminium and vehicles.
Monday’s duties come in the wake of President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into US cities.
But there is no mention of wildfires in the executive orders that Trump signed on Monday.
Instead, the three proclamations list US trade irritants that were previously known to Canada related to cars, dairy and alcohol – signalling a breakdown of trade negotiations between the two countries.
On cars, Trump is accusing Canada of charging a tax on US motor vehicles and parts that are not covered under USMCA.
He argues it is “unreasonable” and that Canada has discriminated against the US by not charging other countries a similar tax.
Automotive manufacturing in North America is highly integrated between Canada, the US and Mexico.
But Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said in the past that he believes Canada should “come second” to the US.
Trump has also named cars in the past as one issue where the two countries have competing interests.
Dairy, meanwhile, has long been a problem for the US, specifically Canada’s supply management system, which sets limits on foreign imports. Those that exceed the limit are charged a tariff upwards of 300%.
And lastly, the enduring boycott of US booze by most Canadian provinces has become a major sore point for the Americans since it was imposed last year.
Canadian premiers have said repeatedly that the boycott will be lifted if the US removes its tariffs on key Canadian sectors, including metals and automobiles.
Canadian trade negotiators have been working on trying to secure a deal that would at least reduce some of the current US tariffs.
The BBC has contacted the White House and the Canadian government for comment.
Earlier this year, the US chose not to renew the USMCA in its current form.
Canada and Mexico sought a renewal of the trade agreement, but the US wants to make changes to the deal, which was negotiated during Trump’s first term in office.
As it stands, the treaty will continue to govern North American trade over the next decade on a rolling basis, requiring annual reviews.
In February, the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping international tariffs imposed by Trump through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.
The justices ruled that the president had exceeded his authority when he announced the duties under a law reserved for national emergencies.
The White House vowed at the time that it would invoke other mechanisms to impose import taxes.
(BBC)
Soon-to-be world number one Elena Rybakina produced a gritty comeback against Coco Gauff to reach the US Open final, in which she will face Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster showdown between the tournament’s top two seeds.
Rybakina is guaranteed to end Sabalenka’s 99-week reign as world number one and will replace the Belarusian at the top when the rankings are updated on Monday.
But the Kazakh second seed could rub more salt in Sabalenka’s wounds if she can deny the top seed a third successive US Open title in Saturday’s showpiece.
Sabalenka sent a warning to her rivals as she overpowered home hope Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 to keep alive her bid to become the third woman in the Open era to win the New York singles title three times in a row.
Rybakina will stand in her way after she fought back to beat American fourth seed Gauff 3-6 6-4 6-4 and silence the partisan crowd.
“I took a deep breath and just told myself I needed to fight and show good tennis,” Rybakina said.
The 27-year-old is chasing her third Grand Slam title after winning Wimbledon in 2022 and beating Sabalenka in January’s Australian Open final.
It will be the first time the top two women’s seeds have contested a US Open final since Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 showpiece.
Aryna Sabalenka is the first player – male or female – to reach eight successive hard-court Grand Slam finals [BBC Sport]
Sabalenka has not been beaten in New York since losing the 2023 final to Gauff, but there were doubts over her title defence following a poor run-up to the tournament.
After a strong start to the season and winning the ‘Sunshine Double’ at Indian Wells and Miami in March, Sabalenka suffered a quarter-final defeat at Roland Garros and a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon.
However, she has found her form again, dropping just one set en route to the final.
“I was super desperate,” Sabalenka said after her win over Pegula.
“It feels for me, talking about Grand Slams, like a last push of the season.
“I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way.”
In a tense opening set, Sabalenka bristled with frustration early on as unforced errors crept into her game while Pegula settled quickly and struck the ball cleanly.
But eventually the four-time major singles winner found her rhythm and, after striking decisively at 6-5 to take the first set, she cranked up the power.
Pegula looked helpless as Sabalenka raced through the second set, with the Belarusian pounding 29 winners to her 12.
The victory meant Sabalenka broke the Open era record for the most Grand Slam hard-court finals in a row, with the 28-year-old reaching every major final on her favoured surface since the 2023 Australian Open.
For 32-year-old Pegula – the only semi-finalist without a Grand Slam title – it is yet another US Open defeat by long-time rival Sabalenka.
Sabalenka denied the third seed a maiden major in the 2024 final, while she also got the better of her in last year’s semi-finals – although Pegula had won their most recent meeting in June’s Berlin Open.
“I do think she probably would have beaten 99% of people,” Pegula said.
“Probably the best match she’s played this year.”
[BBC Sports]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri departed the Port of Colombo today, 11 September 2026, following the successful completion of a four day official visit.
On her departure, the Sri Lanka Navy bade farewell to the ship in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.
During the visit, naval personnel from both navies engaged in joint initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. These included a friendly volleyball match, a beach cleanup along the Galle Face
promenade, and a training exercise on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS).
As part of the visit, the Indian Navy handed over a consignment of spares and supplies to the Sri Lanka Navy. Visiting crew members also toured key tourist attractions in and around Colombo.
Official interactions of this nature aim to enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two maritime forces, supporting joint responses to evolving regional maritime challenges.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Indian capital on Friday ahead of an 11-member BRICS summit set to be dominated by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as economic challenges.
Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are due to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to meet Modi on the sidelines of the two-day meeting.
Putin arrived at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, where he was greeted by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, according to footage broadcast by Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency.
Posters of a beaming Modi lined streets across New Delhi to welcome leaders, with heavy deployments of security forces across the capital and widespread traffic restrictions in central districts. Delhi police have urged people to be patient and cooperative.
BRICS, which stands for the original members of the grouping – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers.
It has since expanded, and now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – three countries with sharply differing positions on the US-Israel war on Iran launched in February.
“The Gulf conflict is going to be the central fault line this time during the BRICS summit,” Harsh V Pant of India’s Observer Research Foundation told the AFP news agency.
“What was seen until last year as an achievement – the expansion of BRICS – today looks like a big constraint on BRICS,” Pant said.
It will be Pezeshkian’s first visit to India as Iranian president, and will put the Middle East conflict firmly on the agenda. The Iranian president’s visit marks the first in eight years for the role.
“The war in Iran will provide a stern test of the (expanded) group’s cohesion,” Shilan Shah of Capital Economics told AFP, noting the failure of the BRICS foreign ministers to agree on a joint statement when they met in New Delhi in May.
India maintains cordial relations with Iran and Israel, but is also careful to strike a delicate balance in its ties with Washington.
India has navigated the energy crisis caused by the war on Iran in part by turning to Russia, one of its most important strategic partners and its most controversial fuel supplier in recent years, as Moscow’s war against Ukraine drags on.
Putin last visited India in December 2025, but he also met Modi in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, this month.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Kyiv this month, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “grateful to India for its commitment to ending this unjust war”.
For China’s Xi, it will be his first visit to India since 2019, and marks the biggest step yet in a cautious thaw between the rival neighbours, six years after a deadly military clash along their disputed Himalayan border.
Ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants have been warming again recently, with flights, visas and high-level contacts gradually being restored.
However, deep mistrust remains, with their contested frontier, a widening trade deficit and strategic rivalry still complicating ties.
[Aljazeera]
Rybakina sets up blockbuster Sabalenka final at US Open
INS Udaygiri departs Colombo concluding formal visit
President meets representatives from Sri Lanka Scout Association
Putin lands in India for BRICs summit, shadowed by Iran and Ukraine wars
Meeting between Catholic religious leaders and President
Shafali, Deepti power India into sixth T20 Asia Cup final
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