DOJ antitrust division halts cooperation with Canada

The U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division has halted all collaboration with the Canadian government, according to emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 2.36%, marking a new front in the escalating trade war between Washington and Ottawa.wsj

Lynda Marshall, chief of the antitrust division's international section, sent an email on Wednesday titled "Pause on Canada" directing officials to cease all joint work on cases and policy discussions with Canadian counterparts, according to the Journal's reporting. Marshall did not explain the reasoning behind the directive but noted she would "circle back if the guidance changes."wsj

A Trade War Spills Into Law Enforcement

The move comes as the two countries remain locked in a deepening trade conflict. Talks between the U.S. and Canada collapsed on August 21 after weeks of negotiations failed to produce an agreement. Canada has since announced counter-tariffs ranging from 15 to 50 percent on more than 700 American goods, scheduled to take effect on September 8.factcheck.afp+2

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that his government was ready to sign a trade deal that benefits both countries, adding that any agreement would need "stability and credibility." Carney has accused the U.S. of taking a dismissive approach to negotiations, telling reporters last week that Americans need to "stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious."aljazeera+1

Implications for Cross-Border Enforcement

The Justice Department and its Canadian counterpart, the Competition Bureau, have long cooperated on cross-border antitrust matters, sharing information and coordinating investigations into multinational corporations. A suspension of that cooperation could complicate ongoing joint enforcement actions and send a broader signal about the willingness of the Trump administration to use law enforcement channels as leverage in trade disputes.justice

Reuters reported it could not immediately verify the Journal's account independently. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.reuters

The trade war between the U.S. and Canada began in February 2025 when President Donald Trump signed orders imposing near-universal tariffs on Canadian goods. What started as a tariff dispute has now expanded beyond trade policy and into the domain of law enforcement cooperation, raising questions about how far the economic confrontation between the two neighbors will reach.wikipedia