The US Justice Department has instructed antitrust officials to temporarily suspend any collaboration with the Canadian government, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. This directive comes in the wake of a commercial dispute between Washington and Ottawa.
This action marks the latest escalation in the tension between the two neighboring countries, which have been close allies for decades but have found themselves at odds over trade and other issues since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in early 2025, according to Reuters.
The ongoing trade conflict has resulted in the imposition of tariffs on cross-border exchanges valued in the tens of billions of dollars.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become a US state, and just last week, he ordered that Lake Ontario be renamed “Lake America” in federal documents. However, this decision does not affect the name used by Canada or other countries for the lake.
Lynda Marshall, head of the international section of the antitrust division, instructed officials via email on Wednesday to cease any collaboration with Canadian authorities regarding ongoing cases and public policy consultations, without providing a reason for this directive, the American publication reported.
On Friday, section chiefs within the division were also asked via another email to submit detailed lists by the end of the day outlining areas of collaboration with Canada, the Wall Street Journal further reported.
