Canada marched into a trade war against its greatest ally on Saturday, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing 25-per-cent retaliatory tariffs against $155-billion worth of American goods, precisely matching President Donald Trump’s move to tax Canadian imports.’We will not back down’: Canada to retaliate against U.S. tariffs by targeting $155 billion of American goods: Trudeau
“We’re certainly not looking to escalate, but we will stand up for Canada, Canadians and Canadian jobs,” Trudeau said at a 9:30 p.m. ET press conference. “We didn’t ask for this, but we will not back down.”
Hours earlier, Trump signed an emergency order imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on most Canadian imports and a 10-per-cent levy on Canadian energy, taking effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Trudeau, who was notified of the tariffs earlier Saturday, met with his cabinet and premiers in the afternoon ahead of the U.S.’s official public announcement. He also spoke with Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum in the evening.
Trudeau said the Canadian response will include immediate tariffs on $30-billion worth of goods on Tuesday, followed by tariffs on $125-billion worth of American products in 21 days to give Canadian companies time to find alternatives.
Trudeau said retaliatory tariffs will include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices such as orange juice, as well as vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes, household appliances, furniture and sports equipment.
He said the federal government is also considering with the provinces and territories several non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy, procurement and other partnerships.
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Speaking to Americans, Trudeau hammered home the idea that Canada and the U.S. had been allies for decades, whether it was on the beaches of Normandy in World War Two, in providing refuge to stranded passengers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, or mere weeks ago when Canada sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California.
“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 said. “Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
Turning his attention to Canadians, Trudeau said he knows many of them are anxious and perplexed as to why their closest friend and neighbour is targeting them.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of Americans who wake up in the morning saying, ‘Oh, damn Canada. Oh, we should really go after Canada.’”
When asked whether he had spoken to Trump, Trudeau said he hasn’t since his inauguration on Jan. 20.
“I look forward to speaking with President Trump in the coming days and weeks,” he said. “We’ve solved big issues before, and we will solve them again.”
Credit: citynews
