Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday announced retaliatory tariffs covering about 150 billion Canadian dollars ($105 billion) worth of U.S. goods, according to local media reports.
Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers in Ottawa to discuss the tariff threat posed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. During the meeting, Trudeau stated that the retaliatory tariffs are part of Ottawa’s planned measures.
After the meeting, the prime minister emphasized that “nothing is off the table” in response to possible U.S. tariffs.
Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods exported to the United States unless Canada tightens border security.
On Wednesday, Ottawa and the premiers issued a joint statement demonstrating their collaborative efforts to prevent U.S. tariffs.
Trudeau and the premiers agreed that no one region of Canada should “disproportionately bear the burden” in response to the tariffs.
However, the oil-producing province of Alberta did not sign the joint statement. The province’s Premier Danielle Smith warned that if the federal government imposed an export ban on Alberta oil to the United States as a retaliatory measure, it would prompt a “national unity crisis.”
The premiers are committed to working together on a full range of measures to ensure a robust response to possible U.S. tariffs, including support for sectors, businesses, and individuals, according to the statement.
The statement also noted that if the federal government implements retaliatory measures, it will ensure the rapid deployment of resources to mitigate economic impacts on workers and businesses, including distributing revenues from potential retaliatory tariffs as quickly as possible.
The premiers are expected to meet weekly following Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trudeau announced on Tuesday that he would hold a Cabinet retreat on Trump’s inauguration day to focus on defending Canadian interests.
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Canadian PM outlines reprisal tariffs on $105 bln worth of U.S. goods
cgtn.com
