Trump said on Thursday the U.S. would impose a 35% levy on imports from Canada next month. The U.S. president also floated a blanket 15% or 20% tariff rate on other countries, a step up from the current 10% baseline rate.

The US will impose a tariff of 35 per cent on Canadian goods from August 1, Donald Trump said in a letter late on Thursday. The US president separately told NBC News on Thursday that any countries that had not received a letter from him setting out new tariff regimes would face so-called blanket tariffs of 15-20 per cent.

Stock markets mostly retreated Friday as US President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war, threatening a higher blanket tariff and a 35-percent levy on Canada.