Canada is bracing for a recent spherical of U.S. tariffs as a trade war launched by President Donald Trump continues to dominate the federal election marketing campaign.
Trump has pledged to unveil on Wednesday so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on a number of nations on what he has dubbed as “Liberation Day.”
It’s not but clear what the specifics are of his new commerce coverage and whether or not Canada will likely be included, or what the degrees of tariffs may very well be.
“The president will likely be addressing the a long time of unfair commerce practices which have ripped our nation off and American staff off,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Tuesday in previewing Trump’s announcement, whereas declining to supply any additional particulars.
Wednesday additionally marks the deadline for Trump’s non permanent exemption of auto elements and different items traded underneath North American free commerce guidelines from sweeping 25 per cent tariffs.
These have been imposed on March 4 in what Trump has billed as a push to get Canada and Mexico to take motion on fentanyl trafficking. He has additionally mentioned he needs to make use of “financial drive” to drive Canada to grow to be the 51st state.
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Leavitt wouldn’t say if Trump is contemplating an extension of that pause, solely telling reporters to tune into Wednesday’s tariff announcement.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Mark Carney, who’s operating because the Liberal Social gathering chief, pressed pause on his election marketing campaign for a second time in lower than every week.
He’s anticipated to carry conferences in Ottawa Wednesday forward of Trump’s announcement at 4 p.m. Jap.
Carney spoke to Trump for the first time last week and he vowed to answer the brand new commerce actions with counter-tariffs.
Talking at a marketing campaign cease in Winnipeg Tuesday, Carney mentioned Ottawa will likely be “very deliberate” in its response to struggle towards the “unjustified measures” by the U.S. administration, whereas additionally ensuring there may be “minimal affect” on Canada.
“There are measures that we will take that at a minimal, stage the taking part in subject with america and once more it will depend on the broader measures they take tomorrow, if certainly, they do towards Canada,” Carney mentioned.
The U.S. has so far imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods, in addition to an additional 25 per cent on steel and aluminum imports and a ten per cent levy on Canadian vitality imports.
Canada has already responded to Trump’s commerce actions with counter-tariffs on virtually $60 billion value of American items, which have been introduced in retaliation for the 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian items and a subsequent spherical that was retaliation for the metal and aluminum tariffs.
After Trump introduced his one-month suspension of the March 4 tariffs, Ottawa paused a bigger, $125-billion spherical of retaliatory levies till Wednesday to permit for negotiations with the Trump administration.
The commerce struggle has grow to be a key marketing campaign focus for all the primary federal events within the common election. Canadians are set to go to the polls on April 28.
Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre has mentioned the nation wants to face as much as Trump and NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh has urged assist for staff who will likely be impacted by the tariffs.
— With recordsdata from World Information’ Sean Boynton
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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