US President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to impose further tariffs on Canadian products in retaliation against Ottawa’s countermeasures. This was hours after his government imposed a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Canada.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump said, “Please tell Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he places a Retaliatory Tariff on the US, our Reciprocal Tariff will go up by a like amount!” His statement came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced similar 25 percent tariffs on US goods.
Trudeau vehemently lambasted Trump’s trade policies as a “dumb” war targeting the country’s key allies in an unfair manner. Trudeau accused Trump of seeking to destabilize Canada’s economy to make it easier to annex by the US. He also criticized Washington’s move, saying that it punishes close friends but treats Russia in the Ukraine war with leniency.
This February, Trump had threatened a comprehensive 25 percent tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports, citing them for not bringing illegal immigration and drug trafficking to an end. Although he first postponed the step in February, he proceeded with the tariffs on Tuesday, arguing not enough headway on these issues.
The tariffs, which are now in place, are projected to affect more than $918 billion of US imports from Canada and Mexico. The actions will impact a broad variety of products, ranging from avocados and lumber used in American home construction to vital automobile supply chains.
As tensions heighten, economic experts caution against possible disruptions in major industries and increased costs to consumers. Canada, Mexico, and other nations impacted are contemplating additional countermeasures, leading to a prolonged trade war.
