Canada appealed Thursday (3.4.2025) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the issue of duties imposed by the US on cars And in their components, the organization announced today (7.4.2025).
“Canada called for the US consultation with the US in the framework of the WTO dispute resolution mechanism, focusing on the US duties, 25% in cars and car accessories,” the WTO said. Canada was not influenced by the new wave of customs duties announced last week by US President Donald Trump at almost all countries worldwide, which were already confronted with at least 10% duties in all their sales in the US.
But Ottawa, Washington’s first trading partner, is already targeted by additional US customs duties in steel and aluminum, as well as cars. 25% duties came into force on April 3 in all cars not manufactured in the US. In retaliation, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the imposition of height duties 25% In some US car imports.
The request of consultations filed by Canada was distributed today to the other members of the WTO. Constitutes the official starting point of the dispute resolution process. These consultations give the parties the opportunity to examine the issue and find a satisfactory solution without engaging in a legal process.
After 60 days, if the consultations have not allowed the dispute to resolve, the plaintiff may ask the matter to undergo a judicial procedure under the jurisdiction of an expert.
In her request for consultations, the Canadian government says that she considers that US measures are ‘incompatible’ With the various US obligations to the 1994 GATT General Duty and Trade Agreement (GATT).
“The Canadian government is awaiting interesting to receive the US government’s response to its request and hopes that a date and a place, mutual acceptable, will be determined for the consultations,” he added.
Already in March, Canada had appealed to the WTO on the issue of 100% punitive customs duties imposed by the Trump government on the majority of its products imported into the US.