Jamieson Greer, a key trade official for U.S. President Donald Trump, criticized Canadian leaders for labeling the recent tariffs as a trade war against Canada, calling it “unhinged.” In an interview with the Financial Times, Greer downplayed the impact of the 50 percent tariffs on the Canadian economy and took issue with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s characterization of the trade dispute.
Greer emphasized that the tariffs, which came into effect in August, only affect five percent of Canada’s exports to the U.S. He expressed his view that the situation has been exaggerated, with references to war and economic attacks being unwarranted.
The podcast, where Greer made these comments, was released before Canada implemented retaliatory tariffs, prompting the U.S. to announce a ban on Canadian alcohol, motorcycles, and certain food products starting on September 29. Following this, Greer’s office shared a news release featuring excerpts from the interview to reinforce their stance.
Greer clarified that the tariffs were simply additional fees on foreign goods made in foreign countries, not an act of war. He indicated that options for responding to Canada’s tariffs were presented to President Trump, who subsequently announced the import ban and other measures.
Describing Canada’s actions as “senseless retaliation,” Greer stated that the measures taken by the U.S. were a “natural consequence” of Canada’s trade tactics. He emphasized that the U.S. response was due to Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American exports across various industries.
Greer’s remarks align with previous statements from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who also rejected the notion of a trade war with Canada in late August. Bessent dismissed the idea, stating that there was no war between the two countries.