President Donald Trump is following through with 25 per cent tariffs on any steel and aluminum entering the United States.
He signed an executive order on Monday night to increase the tax on March 12 “without exceptions or exemptions.”
“We don’t need it from another country. If we make it in the United States, we don’t need it to be made in Canada. We’ll have the jobs. That’s why Canada should be our 51st state,” Trump remarked.
Statistics from 2024 show about 40 per cent of aluminum imports to the U.S. were made in Canada.
Trump first made the surprise announcement on Sunday as he was flying to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to respond to the tariffs but Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne did release a statement on Monday evening.
Champagne said the tariffs are “completely unjustified” and his government’s response to them will be “clear and calibrated,” adding they are consulting with their international partners as they examine the details.
Canadian steel and aluminum support key industries in the U.S. from defence, shipbuilding, energy to automotive. This is making North America more competitive and secure,” said Champagne.
“We will continue to stand up for Canada, support our workers, and defend our industries as we have always done and always will.”
Meanwhile, both opposition leaders have called for retaliatory measures and support for workers.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh voiced his concerns about Trump’s new tariffs, following talks on Monday with auto workers about the U.S. tariff threats.
“Canadians are pissed off. They feel insulted. Now, we were good neighbours. We worked together to build a good economy and Donald Trump has insulted us. People feel offended at this idea of the 51st state,” Singh said.
Singh urged the federal government to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Tesla imports, highlighting CEO Elon Musk’s close ties with President Trump.
He also promised that an NDP government would double electric vehicle rebates from $5,000 to $10,000.
Reacting ahead of Trump’s announcement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the tariffs a “wake-up call”.
He stated that if he forms the next government, any proceeds from retaliation tariffs would go back to support the steel and aluminum industry.
He also added that he would return any surplus funds to Canadians in the form of tax relief.
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