Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his government will impose 25 per cent tariffs on American goods worth USD 155 billion in retaliation for tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Trudeau urged people of his country to purchase local products and consider spending vacations in the country, according to the Canada-based media channel, Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).
Addressing a press conference on Saturday (local time), Trudeau stressed that Canada’s response will be “far-reaching” and will include everyday items like American beer, wine, bourbon fruits and fruit juices.
“Tonight I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US trade action with 25 per cent tariffs against 155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on USD 30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday followed by further tariffs on USD 125 billion worth of American products in 21 days time to allow Canadian companies and Supply chains to seek to find alternatives,” he said.
“Like, the American tariffs our response will also be far-reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice along with vegetables perfume, clothing and shoes. It’ll include major consumer products like household appliances furniture and sports equipment and materials like lumber and Plastics along with much much more and as part of our response we are considering with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures including some relating to critical minerals energy procurement and other partnerships,” Trudeau added.
The Canadian PM assured people of his country that they are all in this together and it is “Team Canada” at its best, according to CPAC. He said, “We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world. With all that said, I also want to speak directly to Canadians in this moment, I’m sure many of you are anxious but I want you to know we are all in this together, the Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labour Canadian Civil Society, Canada’s Premier and tens of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united. This is Team Canada at its best.”
He also urged people to check labels at the supermarket and buy Canadian-made products and visiting national and provincial parks in Canada.
Calling on people to choose Canada, he said, “Now is also the time to choose Canada. There are many ways for you to do your part, it might mean checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian-made products. It might mean opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky bourbon or for going Florida orange juice altogether. It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer. It might mean doing all of these things or finding your own way to stand up for Canada. In this moment we must pull together because we love this country we pride ourselves on braving the cold during the long winter months. We don’t like to beat our chests but we’re always out there waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to celebrate an Olympic gold medal.”
He said that Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affortable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values and the natural resources US needs, according to CPAC. He said that Canada has all the ingredients to build a “booming and secure partnership” for the North American economy.
Trudeau said, “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. 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. Let’s take a moment to talk about our shared border.”
“Our border is already safe and secure but there’s always more work to do. Less than one per cent of fentanyl, less than one per cent of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada but hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans including the American president himself, we’re taking action we launched a USD 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 neighbours we must work collaboratively to fix this, unfortunately the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together,” he said.
During the press conference, Trudeau noted that US and Canada have worked together to solve pretty challenging issues over the years and he looked forward to doing that again.
When asked about his relationship with Trump as US President is not speaking to him, Trudeau responded, “This is a time where we’ve all remarked on just how active president Trump has been in engaging with a wide range of topics in his first weeks in office. As you all know, I’ve had many many good and substantive conversations with President Trump over the past months, where we’ve highlighted the work that we can do. Our ministers and officials have been engaging in many cases like today, multiple times a day with their counterparts to talk through these issues to move forward on areas of mutual concern. We will continue to engage and I will continue to be there to work with President Trump as we’ve worked together in the past. We’ve worked together to solve some pretty challenging issues over the years, I look forward to doing that again.”
Trudeau’s decision to slap tariffs on American goods came after US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10 per cent tariff on goods from China, citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug smuggling, including fentanyl.
The US President has taken action under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), emphasizing the need to protect Americans and fulfil a campaign promise. Trump stated that the tariffs were implemented to protect US citizens from the threats posed by illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
“Today, I have implemented a 25 per cent Tariff on Imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian Energy), and a 10 per cent additional Tariff on China. This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl. We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favour of it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.