How the French language contributed to the US-Canada trade war
AFP
August 24, 2026
Quebec City is one of the oldest French settlements in North America, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. — Image by Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0
The trade war between the United States and Canada has taken on the flavor of a culture war after the collapse of negotiations last week.
According to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the dispute with the nation’s largest trading partner was not just about tariff demands but what he called unacceptable “threats” to the French language and “Quebec culture.”
Those are not typical sticking points in trade negotiations, but emotive ones in Canada, particularly in the French-speaking eastern province of Quebec, which has long sought to preserve its distinct identity.
Carney said Canadian subsidies for Francophone culture, the role of Francophone online media and bilingual labeling of products sold in Canada were among the issues at stake.
He described these as “fundamental rights” and said there was “a huge gap between Canadian and American perspectives.”
The prime minister also contended that the US wanted to destroy Canada’s automotive, steel and aluminum industries, and restrict Canadian trade deals with other countries.
After the breakdown of talks, Canada now faces additional tariffs on some $20 billion worth of its US exports and double tariffs on Canadian vehicles, while Carney has vowed to match the US tariffs “dollar for dollar.”
In Quebec, Carney’s decision to break off negotiations was widely supported.
The trade war between the United States and Canada has taken on the flavor of a culture war after the collapse of negotiations last week.
According to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the dispute with the nation’s largest trading partner was not just about tariff demands but what he called unacceptable “threats” to the French language and “Quebec culture.”
Those are not typical sticking points in trade negotiations, but emotive ones in Canada, particularly in the French-speaking eastern province of Quebec, which has long sought to preserve its distinct identity.
Carney said Canadian subsidies for Francophone culture, the role of Francophone online media and bilingual labeling of products sold in Canada were among the issues at stake.
He described these as “fundamental rights” and said there was “a huge gap between Canadian and American perspectives.”
The prime minister also contended that the US wanted to destroy Canada’s automotive, steel and aluminum industries, and restrict Canadian trade deals with other countries.
After the breakdown of talks, Canada now faces additional tariffs on some $20 billion worth of its US exports and double tariffs on Canadian vehicles, while Carney has vowed to match the US tariffs “dollar for dollar.”
In Quebec, Carney’s decision to break off negotiations was widely supported.
According to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the dispute with the nation’s largest trading partner was not just about tariff demands but what he called unacceptable ‘threats’ to the French language and ‘Quebec culture’ – Copyright AFP ANDREJ IVANOV
A poll published Sunday by the Angus Reid Institute found that 85 percent of Quebecers supported the move — the highest approval rate among the 10 Canadian provinces.
“Our identity is not negotiable,” Quebec Premier Christine Frechette wrote Sunday in a social media post.
She faces a reelection battle in October and is currently trailing in polls to the leader of a Quebec separatist party.
According to Canadian media, Frechette said Washington wanted concessions on Quebec’s rules for appliances and instruction manuals, as well as its law promoting French-language cultural content.
Recent legislation by Quebec allows it to regulate how much French-language content digital platforms offer and how prominently it appears, which can add to the cost of doing business for US companies, the Montreal Gazette reported.
In an interview on Monday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer played down the language issue in the trade talks as a “funny fake story.”
“What we don’t like is a situation where Canada, the federal government, forces American tech companies to take their earnings and give a percentage to their competitors in Canada,” Greer told CNBC.
“But I understand why the Quebecois want to have French language content and all of that. And we think that’s a really valuable thing.”
A poll published Sunday by the Angus Reid Institute found that 85 percent of Quebecers supported the move — the highest approval rate among the 10 Canadian provinces.
“Our identity is not negotiable,” Quebec Premier Christine Frechette wrote Sunday in a social media post.
She faces a reelection battle in October and is currently trailing in polls to the leader of a Quebec separatist party.
According to Canadian media, Frechette said Washington wanted concessions on Quebec’s rules for appliances and instruction manuals, as well as its law promoting French-language cultural content.
Recent legislation by Quebec allows it to regulate how much French-language content digital platforms offer and how prominently it appears, which can add to the cost of doing business for US companies, the Montreal Gazette reported.
In an interview on Monday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer played down the language issue in the trade talks as a “funny fake story.”
“What we don’t like is a situation where Canada, the federal government, forces American tech companies to take their earnings and give a percentage to their competitors in Canada,” Greer told CNBC.
“But I understand why the Quebecois want to have French language content and all of that. And we think that’s a really valuable thing.”
Canada to unveil response to Trump’s steep tariffs
AFP
August 25, 2026
The latest tariffs impact about 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States – Copyright AFP/File Cole BURSTON
Canada is due to announce its answer to US President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs Tuesday, as a trade war intensifies between the historically close allies.
The new measures aim to support workers and businesses during “challenging times,” Canada’s government said late Monday, with officials to hold a press briefing to detail Ottawa’s response Tuesday morning.
Fresh 50-percent US tariffs took effect on a range of Canadian goods Saturday, after trade negotiations collapsed the prior day at the eleventh hour.
The duties impact some $20 billion in goods, or about 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, economists estimate.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said retaliatory tariffs would be effective September 8, as analysts warn of tit-for-tat escalation.
On Monday, Trump additionally pledged to double tariffs on Canadian autos starting next year, up to 50 percent from the current 25 percent for non-US content.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized Trump’s tariff threat on autos, saying he could “kiss my ass” and threatening an electricity export surcharge.
In an earlier phase of the dispute, Ontario imposed a temporary 25-percent surcharge on electricity exports to three US states.
Trump has since lashed out at Ford online, warning of “far worse” consequences.
He also referred to the Canadian prime minister as a “governor,” re-upping his inflammatory push for Canada to become the 51st US state.
Highlighting the animosity, Trump on Tuesday said he was considering renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” as he did last year with the Gulf of Mexico.
The latest tariffs Trump imposed will raise the US effective tariff rate on Canadian exports to 6.9 percent from 5.1 percent, Oxford Economics estimates.
Tariffs on plastics, electrical machinery, and wood and paper products contribute the most to the increase.
“Manufacturers in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario will be affected the most,” Oxford Economics said.
– Threats to culture –
Over the weekend, Carney said US negotiators had sought restrictions on Canadian trade deals with other countries at the last minute.
US officials made unacceptable “threats” to the French language and “Quebec culture” too, he added, referring to eastern Canada’s French-speaking province.
But Trump pushed back early Tuesday, saying on his Truth Social platform that he would “never interfere with Canadians speaking French!”
“This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support,” Trump charged.
The United States is by far Canada’s biggest trading partner, with Canadian exports to its neighbor representing 70 percent of its overall total.
Canada is the United States’ second biggest trading partner in goods this year, behind Mexico, government data showed.
Polling released Sunday by the Angus Reid Institute showed Canadian broadly support Carney’s move to walk away from talks, but some have fear of economic repercussions.
The White House had alleged “discriminatory treatment” by Canada against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products in rolling out the 50-percent tariffs.
Trump had delayed their implementation, but both sides failed to reach an agreement after talks went down to the wire.
Besides the tariffs fight, Washington and Ottawa have to agree on revisions to the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA) which Trump has declined to renew in its current form.
Canada is due to announce its answer to US President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs Tuesday, as a trade war intensifies between the historically close allies.
The new measures aim to support workers and businesses during “challenging times,” Canada’s government said late Monday, with officials to hold a press briefing to detail Ottawa’s response Tuesday morning.
Fresh 50-percent US tariffs took effect on a range of Canadian goods Saturday, after trade negotiations collapsed the prior day at the eleventh hour.
The duties impact some $20 billion in goods, or about 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, economists estimate.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said retaliatory tariffs would be effective September 8, as analysts warn of tit-for-tat escalation.
On Monday, Trump additionally pledged to double tariffs on Canadian autos starting next year, up to 50 percent from the current 25 percent for non-US content.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized Trump’s tariff threat on autos, saying he could “kiss my ass” and threatening an electricity export surcharge.
In an earlier phase of the dispute, Ontario imposed a temporary 25-percent surcharge on electricity exports to three US states.
Trump has since lashed out at Ford online, warning of “far worse” consequences.
He also referred to the Canadian prime minister as a “governor,” re-upping his inflammatory push for Canada to become the 51st US state.
Highlighting the animosity, Trump on Tuesday said he was considering renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” as he did last year with the Gulf of Mexico.
The latest tariffs Trump imposed will raise the US effective tariff rate on Canadian exports to 6.9 percent from 5.1 percent, Oxford Economics estimates.
Tariffs on plastics, electrical machinery, and wood and paper products contribute the most to the increase.
“Manufacturers in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario will be affected the most,” Oxford Economics said.
– Threats to culture –
Over the weekend, Carney said US negotiators had sought restrictions on Canadian trade deals with other countries at the last minute.
US officials made unacceptable “threats” to the French language and “Quebec culture” too, he added, referring to eastern Canada’s French-speaking province.
But Trump pushed back early Tuesday, saying on his Truth Social platform that he would “never interfere with Canadians speaking French!”
“This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support,” Trump charged.
The United States is by far Canada’s biggest trading partner, with Canadian exports to its neighbor representing 70 percent of its overall total.
Canada is the United States’ second biggest trading partner in goods this year, behind Mexico, government data showed.
Polling released Sunday by the Angus Reid Institute showed Canadian broadly support Carney’s move to walk away from talks, but some have fear of economic repercussions.
The White House had alleged “discriminatory treatment” by Canada against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products in rolling out the 50-percent tariffs.
Trump had delayed their implementation, but both sides failed to reach an agreement after talks went down to the wire.
Besides the tariffs fight, Washington and Ottawa have to agree on revisions to the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA) which Trump has declined to renew in its current form.
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