Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that Canada is prepared to deliver a ‘purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate’ response if US President Donald Trump moves forward with imposing tariffs on Canadian imports.
Speaking at a meeting of the Council on Canada-US Relations in Toronto, Trudeau emphasized that Canada is ready for any eventuality.
As reported by CBC News, Trudeau noted, “It’s not what we want, but if he moves forward, we will also act.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, and Immigration Minister Marc Miller are in Washington, engaging in final diplomatic efforts to persuade US Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration to reconsider the proposed tariffs.
President Trump will likely announce the tariffs on Saturday.
In previous statements, Trudeau made it clear that Canada would match any tariffs imposed by the US on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Earlier on Friday, Trump announced that Canadian oil would face a reduced tariff of 10 percent, which could take effect on 18 February.
Additionally, the president indicated plans to impose tariffs on the European Union, citing dissatisfaction with the bloc’s treatment of the US.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that Canada and Mexico are responsible for sourcing and allowing the distribution of illegal fentanyl into the US, which has killed tens of millions of Americans.
Canada and Mexico remain the US’s top trading partners, with substantial trade volumes in the past year.
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