Tariffs on Hold as Trump Claims Deal With Canada Is Near

Potentially damaging American tariffs against billions of dollars worth of Canadian products were put on hold late Tuesday night following days of trade talks in Washington.

President Trump announced a three-day delay on imposing 50 percent tariffs in a social media post on Tuesday night, roughly 90 minutes before the 12:01 a.m. deadline.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of doblockents, have a DEAL!,” Mr. Trump said.

The office of prime minister Mark Carney of Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Carney of Canada has said that he was attempting to avert the new tariffs, which, if put in place, would affect hundreds products that account, by the Trump administration’s estimates, for $20 billion in Canadian exports.

The tariffs had been scheduled to come into effect on Wednesday.

Mr. Carney, said last month that “our objective is not to reach a deal whatever it costs” with the United States. But he has also made it clear that Canada would make any agreement contingent on eliminating or reducing tariffs of up to 50 percent on Canadian steel, aluminum and autos introduced last year. Canada also is seeking relief on tariffs against Canadian lumber that date back decades and were increased by Mr. Trump.

The United States, in turn, was looking for an end to the boycotts of American wine and spirits in some provincial alcohol distribution systems that followed Mr. Trump’s earlier tariffs. It was also seeking an end to Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against imports of American automobiles and changes to how some American dairy products are allowed to enter Canada’s largely closed market.

While Mr. Carney has pulled back some of Canada’s trade retaliation and made other concessions to the United States, he has seemed far less willing to discuss giving anything more to the United States since Mr. Trump announced the sweeping 50 percent tariffs in July.

Since his return to office, Mr. Trump has started a trade war with Canada that has shredded free-trade agreements going back to 1989 while stoking anger and fear among Canadians. In Canada, frustrations have been expressed in a various ways, including a drastic decline in vacation travel by Canadians to the United States.

In a poll by Abacus Data released on Monday, 74 percent of respondents said that American trade actions had already affected their households, with 30 percent describing the effects as “major.”

While the Supreme Court struck down most of Mr. Trump’s tariffs in February, the steel, aluminum and auto tariffs against Canada were brought under another law that was not covered by that decision. The tariffs now on hold were to be made under another law, an untested trade provision from 1930.

A conversation between Mr. Trump and Mr. Carney resumed trade talks in late July. The United States broke off negotiations last fall on steel, aluminum and autos after the province of Ontario placed television ads in the United States that featured clips of President Ronald Reagan, who signed the 1989 free trade agreement with Canada, warning about the dangers of tariffs.

This is a developing story and will be updated.