PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will be responding to US tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian goods with 25 per cent of tariffs against $155B worth of American products.
This will include immediate tariffs of $30B worth of American products as of Tuesday.
This will be followed by further tariffs on $125B worth of American products in 21 days’ time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek alternatives.
Canada is considering non-tariff measures on exports including critical minerals, energy and government procurement.
Trudeau told the American public that the US tariffs put their jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. He told them that the tariffs will impede their access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for US security, such as nickel, uranium, steel and aluminum.
Trudeau said: “Together, we’ve built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world.”
He added: “Yes, we’ve had our differences in the past, but we’ve always found a way to get past them. As I’ve said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.”
He noted: “Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.”
Trudeau pointed out: “We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results, because we, too, are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States. A drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth, a drug whose traffickers must be punished as neighbors. We must work collaboratively to fix this.”
He lamented: “Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
List of products from the U.S. subject to 25 per cent tariffs effective February 4:
