Trump says US and Canada strike deal, temporarily pauses tariffs

United States President Donald Trump announced late on the night of Aug 18 he was putting a three-day pause on new 50 per cent tariffs set to go into effect on Canadian goods on Aug 19, saying the two countries had reached an agreement.



The pause was "based on the fact that Canada and the USA, subject to the finalisation of documents, have a DEAL", Trump said in a post on Truth Social.



There was no immediate comment or confirmation from the Canadian government.



Trump added in his social media post that the Keystone XL Pipeline - a project cancelled by former President Joe Biden in 2021 after years of indigenous and environmental opposition - "may be awoken from the grave", but did not provide details.



Trump's post came after he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the afternoon of Aug 18, their second conversation this week, and after weeks of intense, opaque negotiations.