At the same time, Biden cancelled construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from the Canadian province of Alberta and passing through U.S. territory on its way to refineries on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Construction had initially been blocked in 2015 by President Barak Obama and its resumption was subsequently approved by Trump.

    The pipeline was to carry 800,000 barrels a day and had been seen as Canada’s main hope to expand its transport infrastructure and increase oil output.

    Biden is expected to discuss this by telephone on Friday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has already expressed his “disappointment” over the executive order.

     The new president also signed an executive order halting construction of a wall on the border with Mexico, a project initiated by Trump, as well as lifting a 2017 ban imposed on entry to the United States by citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Also lifted were restrictions on entry imposed on citizens of a number of Middle Eastern countries.  

    Other executive orders urged Americans to wear masks for 100 days and made them obligatory at federal institutions and on planes, trains and buses.