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At 11th hour, U.S. abruptly reverses course, lifts tariffs on Canadian aluminum

U.S. imposed the tariffs last month at the request of two American manufacturers
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with the media before the first day of a Liberal cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Monday Sept. 14, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will be taking action to counter what he described as the unjust tariffs that the U.S. has placed on Canadian aluminum. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The United States is standing down in its tariff dispute with Canada and lifting a 10 per cent levy on aluminum imported from north of the border.

The office of the U.S. Trade Representative says it will lift the tariffs retroactive to Sept. 1 because it expects Canadian exports to “normalize” over the remainder of the year.

In a statement, the USTR says it will continue to monitor trade in aluminum and reimpose the tariff if levels spike unexpectedly.

The sudden about-face comes just hours before the federal Liberal government was expected to announce a suite of countermeasures in retaliation for the tariffs.

The government had already issued a list of possible products on the target list, including beverage cans, washing machines and golf clubs.

The U.S. imposed the tariffs last month at the request of two American manufacturers, prompting an outcry from Canadian producers.

READ MORE: Canada hopes to avert new U.S. tariff war, but stands ready to fire

James McCarten, The Canadian Press


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