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US DOJ antitrust cooperation with Canada reportedly paused amid trade tensions
Reports indicate the US Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust division was directed to halt cooperation with Canadian authorities on policy and active cases. According to emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Lynda Marshall, the head of the division’s international section, issued the order to pause engagement without providing a specific reason. Additionally, section chiefs were reportedly asked to submit lists of all existing areas of cooperation with Canada.
The DOJ has disputed these reports, stating that the “alleged direction was never given to anyone.” The department clarified that the division was only asked to “temporarily hold off on a scheduled meeting on a specific investigation” to allow the team more time to prepare.
The reported friction occurs amid an intensifying trade war between the US and Canada. The dispute has led to tariffs affecting tens of billions of dollars in cross-border trade. Recent escalations include an executive order by President Trump to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for US federal government purposes, a move that has added further tension to the bilateral relationship.
Entities
Canada · Department of Justice · Donald Trump · Lynda Marshall · Mark Carney · US Department of Justice
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Canadian government planned to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US starting September 8. internewscast.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] President Trump issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America for US federal government purposes. offthepress.com · internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com · nypost.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The DOJ disputed reports of the directive, stating the alleged direction was never given to anyone. offthepress.com · internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com · nypost.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Section chiefs were reportedly asked to provide lists of areas of cooperation with Canada by the end of a Friday. offthepress.com · internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com · nypost.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Lynda Marshall ordered DOJ antitrust officials to halt cooperation on cases and policy issues with Canada. offthepress.com · internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com · nypost.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The DOJ stated the division was only asked to temporarily delay a meeting on a specific investigation to allow for more preparation time. offthepress.com · internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com · nypost.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The trade dispute has resulted in tariffs affecting tens of billions of dollars in goods moving across the US-Canada border. internewscast.com · china.timesofnews.com