Canada vows swift action if Trump enforces new tariffs
Suppose the USA imposes tariffs on Canada on Tuesday. In that case, Canada will react immediately and decisively, stated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in response to a question about Ottawa's reaction to the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
We will do everything to avoid tariffs. But, as I said, if these unjustified tariffs are imposed on Canada on Tuesday, we will deliver an immediate and exceptionally strong response, as Canadians expect, said Trudeau at a press conference in Montreal.
Canada prepares for Trump's decision
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that suspended tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will take effect on Tuesday, March 4th, and that he will impose an additional 10% tariff on products from China. This is related to the further influx of fentanyl across the borders, Trump added, although statistics indicate a significant decline in the smuggling of this drug.
Trudeau emphasized that the federal government, provincial governments, and all government partners have ensured that "when Tuesday and the following weeks arrive, there are no tariffs imposed on Canada." He also noted that the tariffs currently mentioned by Donald Trump are linked to the fentanyl crisis experienced by the United States, which is also present in Canada.
"I've been emphasizing that less than 1% of the fentanyl that arrives in the United States comes from Canada," said Trudeau, adding that Canada wants to eliminate even that one percent. That's why the federal government has invested about 1 billion USD in border protection with the USA, including new equipment such as helicopters and drones.
When Canada was preparing to introduce retaliatory tariffs on the USA in early February, the government announced that 25% tariffs on imports from the USA would cover goods worth approximately 115 billion USD. However, the White House postponed the implementation of these tariffs by a month.
