Carney cabinet meets in Banff amid trade war

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet gathered in Banff, Alberta, on Thursday and Friday for closed-door planning sessions as an escalating trade war with the United States shows no sign of abating. The retreat, held ahead of Parliament's resumption on Sept. 21, focused on strengthening the economy and infrastructure, diversifying trade and hearing from guest speakers on the economy, Indigenous partnerships and international affairs. The meetings come amid a rapid tit-for-tat escalation between Ottawa and Washington. Canada suspended trade negotiations with the U.S. on Aug. 21, saying last-minute additions to the bargaining amounted to an attack on Canadian sovereignty and culture. That prompted Washington to impose previously threatened 50 per cent tariffs on some Canadian imports. On Sept. 8, Canada responded with roughly $28 billion in retaliatory, targeted tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump then signed executive orders Tuesday banning certain Canadian imports later this month, including alcohol, motorcycles and some dairy products, and excluding Canadians from U.S. government contracts.