OTTAWA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The United States has agreed to lift its 2018 safeguard tariffs imposed on Canadian solar products after losing a dispute under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement earlier this year, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said on Thursday.
In 2018, the US introduced safeguard tariffs on Canadian exports of solar products in order to protect domestic products. The measures made imports from Canada fall by 82%. In 2021, Canada resorted to a CUSMA mechanism in order to reach a settlement with the US by creating a dispute panel, with the final report being delivered in February this year finding that the tariffs violated certain rules.
"Today, I welcomed the agreement reached with the United States to remove the U.S. safeguard tariffs on solar products from Canada. This agreement follows Canada's victory at a CUSMA dispute panel earlier this year, which found that the United States' tariffs were in violation of CUSMA," Ng said in a statement.
Ng said the move is recognition of Canada's place in the fight against climate change, adding that the government would always stand up for the solar industry in and outside of Canada
"Our government will always stand up for our world class solar industry and the thousands of workers and jobs across the country," Ng added.
All the documents submitted by Canada to solve the dispute will be available for open consultation under their public versions, on the Trade Agreement Secretariat system.
