Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday his country “won’t back down” in the face of tariffs that President Donald Trump has promised to impose this upcoming weekend.
“We’re showing the new American administration that they have a strong partner in Canada when it comes to upholding border security, all while simultaneously underscoring that we won’t back down, that if tariffs are implemented against Canada, we will respond,” Trudeau said Friday while addressing the advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations.
Canada sends 75% of all its goods and services to the U.S., and their economy would be greatly impacted if Trump follows through. “We won’t relent until tariffs are removed and, of course, everything is on the table,” Trudeau said. He added, "I won't sugarcoat it, our nation could be facing difficult times in the coming days and weeks," Trudeau said.
"I know Canadians might be anxious and worried, but I want them to know the federal government, and indeed, all orders of government, have their backs," Trudeau added.
On Thursday Trump’s White House confirmed that the U.S. will impose tariffs on Saturday of 25% on Mexico, 25% on Canada, and 10% on China. Trump added that Canadian oil would be hit with lower tariffs of 10%, which could take effect later, on Feb. 18.
Trump was resolute in his decsion saying, “Look, Mexico and Canada have never been good to us on trade."
“They’ve treated us very unfairly on trade, and we will be able to make that up very quickly because we don’t need the products that they have,” he added while also citing fentanyl coming into the U.S. and migrants crossing over the southern border.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Canada and Mexico duties were in response to "the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed 10s of millions of Americans."
The upcoming trade war with the U.S. has become top of mind for Canadian leaders looking to replace Trudeau in the upcoming 2025 elections. Both liberal and conservative candidates have made the American president a key talking point on the campaign trail.
Doug Ford, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, said Wednesday the 25% tariffs threatened by Trump would devastate Canada’s economy and cost Ontario thousands of jobs.
“The people of our province, like people across Canada, are facing unprecedented times,” Ford said in Windsor, Ontario. “I am asking the people of Ontario for their trust. I’m asking ... for a strong, stable, four-year mandate to do whatever it takes to protect Ontario.”
On Monday, Chrystia Freeland, the former finance minister who is running to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister, said Monday Canada needs to release a “retaliation list” of goods the country would target if U.S. President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.