U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered a snarky response to threats of retaliation from Prime Minister Mark Carney about new tariffs and the attempted rebranding of Lake Ontario.
On August 22, Trump imposed a steep 50% tariff on an estimated $28 billion of Canadian goods — including beer, cheese, and electronics — on top of existing duties on aluminum, lumber, vehicles, and steel.
Ottawa announced it would respond in kind, eventually imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs to take effect September 8, with Prime Minister Carney telling reporters August 23 that his nation was “attacked” by the US.
In an interview with CNBC, Bessent said, “We’re not at war with Canada. How are we gonna be at war with Canada?”
“What are they going to do — take their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sic them on us?”
