The US President announced intentions to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian-manufactured aircraft, citing Canada's alleged wrongful refusal to certify planes made by US firm Gulfstream, according to reports.
In a social media dispatch, the President also declared the decertification of all Canadian aircraft, though a White House official later clarified to Reuters that this did not apply to planes currently in operation.
Separately, the administration pledged new tariffs targeting countries that sell oil to Cuba, formalized through an executive order aimed at increasing pressure on Havana’s communist government.
Details regarding the specific tariff rates or the list of potentially targeted nations were not immediately provided in the executive order, which cited Cuba's actions as an unusual and extraordinary threat to US security.
Bombardier, Canada's largest aircraft manufacturer, confirmed it was aware of the social media post and was in communication with the Canadian government regarding the potential measures.
These threats emerge amidst already strained bilateral relations, following recent commentary by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney regarding a 'rupture' in the postwar world order and a subsequent trade partnership announcement with China.
This latest economic maneuver against Cuba continues a strategy that has already seen US actions reportedly worsen fuel shortages on the island, which has relied heavily on Venezuelan oil shipments.
