A senior government official informed The Associated Press on Wednesday that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is adamant about maintaining Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against the US in the event that the US maintains tariffs on Canada.
The individual, who could not be named publicly due to a lack of authority, reiterated Trudeau’s position while insisting on maintaining anonymity. As the source claimed, Trump and Trudeau had a phone conversation somewhere about lunchtime.
Publicly, several Canadian authorities agreed with Trudeau.
Meeting halfway and agreeing to a reduced rate is not something we are interested in. Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc expressed Canada’s desire to have the tariffs repealed during an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Doug Ford, the premier of Canada’s most populous province, expressed agreement.
“No tariffs whatsoever. Our nation did not initiate this assault. President Trump initiated this. “Our country and our province are going to hold strong” in response to his decision to wage an economic war, according to Ford.
Trump sparked a fresh round of trade tensions on Tuesday by slapping tariffs on America’s three largest trading partners: China, Mexico, and Canada. This prompted swift reaction from these countries and sent stock markets tumbling. Imports from Mexico and Canada were subject to 25% tariffs imposed by Trump, with the exception of Canadian energy, which was subject to a 10% duty.
U.S. automakers will be granted a one-month exception by Trump, just one day after the new tariffs took effect. Trump made the statement during a meeting on Wednesday with top executives from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler and Jeep’s parent company, Stellantis.
Following the negative impact on the stock market and consumer anxiety caused by the import duties, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that exceptions may be explored, signaling a potential softening of American stance.
The American people “woke up two days ago when the market was crashing,” Ford said, acknowledging the widespread terror.People in the United States “are speaking out. Executives, the stock market crashed. That’s the main thing that captivated Trump.
“There are going to be tariffs,” Lutnick stated in a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg Television. Allow me to clarify. However, he did mention that the president was thinking about extending market assistance to some segments until April 2.
Trump is expected to propose “reciprocal” duties on April 2 in response to foreign taxes, subsidies, and levies. While the possibility of wider tariffs remains, it has the potential to significantly raise tariff rates imposed worldwide.
According to Ford’s statement to AP, the American and Canadian car sectors would maintain operations for around 10 days before beginning to shut down production lines in the United States and Ontario if the tariffs are not eliminated.
“Jobs are going to be cut,” Ford said.
Canada and Mexico are both making efforts to meet the drug trafficking worries of the U.S. president, according to Lutnick, who said he will discuss these alternatives with Trump on Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, Trump is likely to make an announcement, according to Lutnick.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Trudeau criticized the tariffs as “very dumb,” and University of Toronto professor emeritus Nelson Wiseman pointed out that Canadians responded positively to Trudeau’s stern rhetoric.
Canada might have accepted Lutnick’s plan or turned it down. It is possible that the government’s choice of the latter is a tactic for future negotiations. Canadians seem to be enjoying it. “They are extremely upset with Trump,” Wiseman stated.
On Wednesday, Trump’s top trade advisor Peter Navarro told CNN that he had observed Trudeau’s press conference and thought the prime minister should “tone stuff down.”
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is likely displaying public determination because “Trump thrives on intimidation and any sign of weakness on the part of Canada might help pave the way for more economic bullying,” according to Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
