Photo: pixabay Canada and the United States have reached an agreement to remove US tariffs on Canadian-made solar products. International Trade Minister Mary Ng says the deal reflects a shared commitment to fighting climate change and developing renewable energy. Ng meets with US Trade Representative Kathryn Tye and Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Cloutier Carrillo in Vancouver at the Free Trade Committee meeting. Tariffs were imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2018, and the Canadian government said exports of solar products to the U.S. have fallen by up to 82 percent since then. In February, a dispute settlement panel found that by keeping Canadian exports subject to so-called “safeguard measures,” the U.S. was violating its obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Ng also says she will raise the issue of softwood lumber negotiations during a bilateral meeting with Tai. “The way forward is to find a solution with the United States,” he said. Both agreed it’s an important issue, but it’s unclear what that potential solution will look like. Tai reiterated its support for the industry. “Our priority is to ensure that US softwood lumber producers can compete on a level playing field,” Tai said. “Subsidized lumber and dumped imports undermine their ability to compete fairly.”
