Former US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian-made solar products will be lifted after Canada, the United States and Mexico struck a deal at trade talks in Vancouver.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng said the agreement reached during talks that ended on Friday reflected a shared commitment to combating climate change and developing renewable energy.
“This agreement will bring stability and predictability to our renewable energy sector and strengthen North America’s competitiveness,” Ng said in a statement. “This is a clear recognition of Canada’s place as a leader in the fight against climate change.”
Ng met with US Trade Representative Catherine Tay and Mexico’s Economy Minister Tatiana Cloutier Carrillo in Vancouver at the Free Trade Commission meeting.
The tariffs were imposed by Trump in 2018, and the Canadian government said exports of solar products to the U.S. have fallen by as much as 82 percent since then.
In February, a dispute settlement panel found that by keeping Canadian exports subject to its so-called “safeguards,” the U.S. was in violation of its obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
From left, Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Ng, Mexico’s Economy Minister Tatiana Cloutier Carrillo and U.S. Trade Representative Catherine Tay attend free trade meetings in Vancouver on Friday. (Government of Canada/Twitter)
Softwood Lumber Dispute
Ng also says she raised the issue of softwood lumber negotiations during a bilateral meeting with Tai.
In November, the U.S. Commerce Department said it would impose tariffs of 17.9 percent on average on softwood lumber imported from Canada. That’s double the previous rate of 8.99 percent, and timber trade organizations have spoken out.
“The way forward is to find a solution with the United States,” Ng said.
Both the US and Canada have agreed that this is an important issue, but it is unclear what that possible solution would look like. Tai reiterated his support for the industry.
“Our priority is to ensure that US softwood producers can compete on a level playing field,” Tye said. “Subsidized lumber and dumped imports undermine their ability to compete fairly.”
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