OTTAWA — Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is defending his government’s quick backtracking on retaliatory tariffs against seafood and fish imports from the United States. The minister says Ottawa listened to Canadians concerned with the countermeasures and that the decision to remove them was “the right thing to do in the interest of Canada.” The Liberal government introduced sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, which would hit the U.S. seafood sector hard for the first time in the ongoing trade war with the United States. The Finance Department announced late Wednesday it would pull the seafood tariffs from the list that goes into effect on Sept. 8 to “protect against broader economic harms.” Canada’s seafood sector is closely integrated with the United States, and both countries are each other’s top destination for lobster exports. The Maine Lobstermen Association had warned the tariffs would be “devastating” for its industry and coastal communities, since Canada is one of the most important markets for Maine lobster. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
