US DOJ's antitrust division asked to pause cooperation with Canadian government, WSJ reports
The pause followed an internal email mix-up and was reversed after officials said the division chief misunderstood instructions.
- Earlier this week, Lynda Marshall, chief of the antitrust division's international section, instructed staff to cease cooperation with Canadian authorities after sending an email with the subject line "Pause on Canada." The Justice Department later reversed the order, resuming engagement after Marshall clarified the misunderstanding.
- Escalating trade tensions between Washington and Canada, characterized by reciprocal tariffs, provided the backdrop for the incident. Since President Donald Trump returned to The White House in 2025, the neighboring nations have faced frequent diplomatic friction over cross-border trade.
- The Wall Street Journal reported the division halted work due to the email, while The Justice Department claimed the report was false. Spokeswoman Emily Covington stated Marshall misunderstood instructions to reschedule a meeting, not to stop cooperation entirely.
- Section chiefs received directives yesterday to provide lists detailing ongoing cooperation with Canadian counterparts by day's end. The antitrust division has since resumed work, though the Competition Bureau did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- Separately, President Donald Trump recently ordered Lake Ontario renamed "Lake America" for federal purposes, illustrating the unconventional nature of current tensions between Washington and Ottawa. The trade spat impacts billions in cross-border commerce.
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DevdiscourseUS Justice Department pauses cooperation with Canadian government, WSJ reports
US-Canada trade tensions spill into antitrust ties after the Wall Street Journal reports the Justice Department pauses work with Canadian officials.
Misread email subject line accidentally freezes Trump DOJ's work with top ally
The Justice Department accidentally stopped working with Canada after a division chief misunderstood instructions to reschedule a meeting, The Wall Street Journal reported.According to a Friday article, the DOJ's antitrust division was instructed to halt all work with the Canadian government after an email was sent out with the subject line, "Pause on Canada." The chief of the antitrust division's international section, Lynda Marshall, sent out …
US DOJ's antitrust division asked to pause cooperation with Canadian government, WSJ reports
The U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division was instructed earlier this week to pause all work with the Canadian government, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing emails, amid a trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa.
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