Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a press conference after the US imposed a 10 percent tariff on energy products such as crude oil imported from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other products. Trudeau stated that Trump had started a trade war against Canada, saying, “We Canadians are reasonable and polite, but when it comes to our country and the well-being of everyone in our country, we will not back down from the fight.”
Trudeau announced that his government would retaliate by imposing a 25 percent tariff on $21 billion worth of goods imported from the US immediately and $106 billion worth of goods within 21 days.
Stating that Canada would challenge the “illegal actions” of the US at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and through the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement USMCA, Trudeau said, “But in the meantime, the tariffs will remain in effect until the US withdraws the tariffs.”
Addressing the US, Trudeau stated that the Trump administration “chose to start a trade war that will hurt American families first and foremost,” and said, “There is absolutely no justification or need for these tariffs today.”
Trudeau, who countered that Canada has not done enough to stop the flow of fentanyl across the U.S. border, emphasized that his government has strengthened border security. “Donald, in the eight-plus years that we have worked together, we have accomplished great things. We have signed a historic agreement that has created record jobs and growth in both countries. We have accomplished great things together on the world stage, and now we must work together to create even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world,” Trudeau said.
“We, two friends fighting, are exactly what our competitors around the world want to see”
Referring to the Wall Street Journal’s report on Trump’s tariffs, Trudeau said, “I am not in the habit of agreeing with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, you are a very smart man, but they are pointing out that this is a very stupid thing to do. We, two friends fighting, are exactly what our competitors around the world want to see.”
"This is going to be difficult"
Saying that his government will help workers and businesses during the Canada-US trade war, Trudeau said, “I’m not going to beat around the bush, even though we’re all going to work together, it’s going to be difficult. The US trade war is going to hurt the Canadian economy, it’s going to hurt all of us. What our government needs to do is make sure that nobody goes hungry.
” “We will never be the 51st state”
Saying that Trump used the excuse of fentanyl smuggling to justify tariffs on Canada, Trudeau stated that the real motivation behind Trump’s tariffs was different, saying, “We actually need to go back to something Trump has said many times: He wants the Canadian economy to completely collapse because that will make it easier for him to annex us.”
Trudeau said, “First of all, that will never happen. We will never be the 51st state. But yes, it may hurt the Canadian economy, but as American families will soon learn, it will hurt people on both sides of the border.”
