WASHINGTON: The US Justice Division’s antitrust division was instructed earlier this week to pause all work with the Canadian authorities, the Wall Road Journal reported on Friday (Sep 4), citing emails, amid a commerce dispute between Washington and Ottawa.
The neighbouring nations, shut allies for many years, have been increasingly at odds over trade and other issues since President Donald Trump returned to the White Home in early 2025. The commerce spat has led to tariffs on tens of billions of {dollars} in cross-border commerce.
The Justice Division known as the report false in an emailed assertion to Reuters, saying the “alleged course was by no means given to anybody.”
The division was requested to “briefly maintain off on a scheduled assembly on a particular investigation till the DOJ’s antitrust workforce had extra time to organize,” the division mentioned.
The White Home and the Canadian authorities didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Trump has incessantly urged Canada needs to be an American state, and final week ordered Lake Ontario to be renamed “Lake America” for US federal authorities functions, a distinction that doesn’t have an effect on what Canada or others name the lake.
The Wall Road Journal reported that Lynda Marshall, chief of the antitrust division’s worldwide part, ordered officers in an e mail on Wednesday to cease all cooperation on circumstances and engagement on coverage points with Canadian authorities, with out offering a purpose for the directive.
On Friday, part chiefs within the division have been additionally requested in one other e mail to offer lists detailing areas of cooperation with Canada by the tip of the day, the report added.
