U.S. trade chief rejects Canada’s view of tariff dispute as a trade war

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has dismissed Canadian leaders’ description of the tariff dispute with Washington as a trade war, calling that framing “unhinged.” He made the comments in an interview with the Financial Times, where he said the U.S. views the issue as an economic and business matter. Greer said the recently imposed 50% U.S. tariffs affect about 5% of Canada’s exports to the United States. He also criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney for using warrelated language to describe the dispute. The remarks came as the two countries continued to exchange tariff measures. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect on Tuesday, and the Trump administration then announced new restrictions on Canadian goods, including alcohol, motorcycles and some food products, due to begin on Sept. 29. Greer said those steps were a natural response to Canada’s actions.