Montreal, Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with regional leaders for talks tariffs are approaching that United States President-elect Donald Trump said he would impose restrictions on Canadian goods on his first day in office next week.
On social media post On Wednesday, Trudeau said, “None of us want to see tariffs destroy the good relationship between Canada and the United States.”
“But we will be ready and respond strongly, nationally if we need to.”
Trump threatened pay 25 percent tax in Canada and Mexico shortly after winning the US presidential election in November.
On his Social Truth page, Trump warned that this would happen “on January 20, as one of my first orders” if Canada and Mexico fail to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking across their borders to the US.
The Republican leader's warning has sparked concern among Canadian politicians and business leaders as its implementation nears, with provincial officials urging Trudeau to do whatever it takes to prevent the tariffs from taking effect.
I will meet with the Premiers in Ottawa today. None of us want to see tariffs destroy the good relationship between Canada and the United States. But we will be ready and respond strongly, the world if we want.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 15, 2025
One of Trudeau's allies, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, he came down in late December amid what he said were disagreements over how the Canadian government should respond to the potential tariffs.
Freeland wrote in his resignation letter.
The US and Canada are among the top traders, and the two countries traded $2.7bn ($3.6bn Canadian) in goods and services every day will cross the shared border in 2023, according to Canadian government figures.
Since Trump threatened his tax, Trudeau – who is stepping down as prime minister after his Liberal Party elects a new leader in early March – emphasized the need for dialogue to build stronger Canada-US relations.
He said earlier that the Canadian government would “respond to unfair tariffs in a number of ways”, without elaborating on what action would be taken.
Canadian broadcaster CBC News reported last week that a document circulating among Ottawa officials lists hundreds of US-made products that Canada could sell with retaliatory tariffs.
The list includes American metal products, plastics and Florida orange juice, the CBC reported.
During Wednesday's meeting with Trudeau, other ministers, including Ontario's Doug Ford, offered support in hopes of retaliating.
“I'm a big believer in giving back,” Ford, the leader of the Conservative Party, said. “You can't let someone hit you over the head with a hammer without hitting them twice, in my opinion.”
Ford arrived at the round table with his version of Trump's “Make America Great Again” hat: a blue hat emblazoned with “Canada is not for sale”.
“We're going into these negotiations with energy, with as much energy as we can,” Ford said from his seat at Trudeau's side.
He also had a message for the US: “We are not the enemy. We are your best friend. We are your best friend.”
Canadian industry groups are also looking into Trump's tariffs and the economic disruption they could cause.
On Wednesday, the Canadian labor union Unifor went on strike a letter to Trudeau's administration is explaining what the country can do by following Trump's ideas.
It included the introduction of “immediate” retaliatory tariffs and emergency aid for industries at risk of being out of a job due to any trade war.
“Never in modern history has Canada faced such a rebuke from its greatest friend and closest ally,” union president Lana Payne said of Trump's remarks.
“Threatening the livelihoods of Canadian workers – including the tens of thousands of Unifor members in the trade fairs – has taken a dangerous course. This cannot be stopped.”
The Trudeau government has been involved in extensive negotiations with the incoming Trump administration since the tariff threat was announced.
The prime minister also visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November, and several ministers also made the trip, in an effort to address the economic crisis.
This week, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson went to Washington, DC, to ask for a stronger agreement with the US, which produces millions of barrels of Canadian oil every day.
But as Trudeau tries to promote a “Team Canada” approach to Trump's economic crisis, other Canadian officials have been meeting with the US president-elect separately, raising fears of a fractured front.
Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta, for example, took a solo trip to Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
Sending pictures of his trip on social networks, he he wrote“On behalf of the people of Alberta, I will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the incoming administration and with elected officials and local governments at both parties.”