His government is working to convince the new government that tariffs will also harm the American economy, according to what Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said and Finance Minister Dominic Leblan (Dominic LeBlanc), immediately after the official US President’s announcements, about an increase in tariffs against Canada by 25%. The same politicians in Canada are prepared to respond to the duties if they are carried out. “This is an important moment (ed. Trump announcement) for Canadians. We must continue to fight for our interests, defend jobs throughout the country,” said Jolie. Leblan said Trump’s comments on Monday night (20.01.2025) should not be surprising. “The only thing we have learned is that President Trump, in moments, may be unpredictable,” Leblan said, adding: “There’s nothing new tonight that was different than a week ago”. A 25% duty would be particularly destructive for Canada, according to the Canadian CBC network. Experts have said that only a 10% contribution would reduce billions of dollars from GDP and possibly plunge the country into a painful recession that would require government incentives to support the economy. Canada is prepared to impose retaliation on the US if Trump eventually proceeds to any commercial action. Officials have already drawn up a plan that will impose direct tariffs on American products worth $37 billion if Trump moves against Canada. CORVERSE Earlier yesterday, Leblan said he would soon travel to Washington to meet with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s new Trade Minister, to whom he will continue to point out that any tariffs in Canada will have a negative impact on the US, fueling inflation and disrupting supply chains. “It’s not in America’s interest,” Leblan said. “We think there is a strong argument that can be supported”. Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., has for months been pushing Trump officials to abandon the tariff plan. “I woke up this morning and thought, honestly, we don’t know what is going to happen and nobody gives us any assurance, but I feel better now than I felt then. And I will feel even better when we look at the details of what she is asking about the study,” Hillman said, referring to Trump’s request to review unfair commercial practices. Canadian district prime minister Doug Ford, meanwhile, adopted a less optimistic tone, saying: “These duties will come. Today simply adds more uncertainty. I feel that it will target Canada, especially Ontario. Make no mistake, he’s coming for us. I think it’s much worse than it was yesterday.” Ford suggested that he could announce elections sometime soon, to receive a new mandate from voters to handle the threat of tariffs and possible consequences. While Trump could reverse his course and impose the threatened tariffs at any time, the decision to initially focus on other priorities—such as fighting immigrants and opening the way for more oil and gas drilling—is still a victory for Canada, because he had promised commercial action from the first day, shortly after winning the US presidential election in November. Prime Minister of the Canadian district of Alberta Daniel Smith, who is in Washington for opening-related events, offered a solution to the suffering of tariffs, advice that she said was created after meeting with “tens of governors, senators, members of Congress and allies of the upcoming government”. She argued that the federal government and local, regional prime ministers should “focus on diplomacy” and stop the “permanent debate on retaliation measures”, such as the threat of Canadian tariffs on American products or the cessation of oil supply. Smith’s stance deviated from the stance of the other 12 prime ministers last week, when she refused to sign a plan to confront Trump with possible Canadian countermeasures. The other prime ministers agreed to use “every tool in the toolbox”, including the possible ban on energy exports as a last resort, to counterattack Trump if he progressed with customs duties. Smith said yesterday that she was “harmed” that the other regional prime ministers signed a plan that could lead to the use of Alberta’s largest export (oil) as a pressure mechanism on Trump. However, the plan drawn up by Ottawa and the prime ministers required common sacrifices and not only did Alberta oil stand out. There was an agreement that no area or sector would bear the greatest burden of whatever happens. Smith said Ottawa would have to enter into an agreement with the new president to buy more American products, double the new security measures at the border, restore migration levels to what was in the era before Trudo, fight against “windows” that allow “enemy” people to enter Canada and speed up military spending to hit the NATO target two percent of GDP earlier.
How Canadians react to Trump announcements to increase tariffs
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