ottawa –
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says dealing with President-elect Donald Trump and his fiery rhetoric on trade will be “a little more difficult” than the last time he was in the White House.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Trudeau said Trump’s team has a clearer idea of what it wants to do immediately than it did after its first presidential victory in 2016. He said it was the body.
Still, Trudeau said the answer is not to panic and that Canada can come together to deal with the harsh scenarios the country will face after Trump takes office in January.
President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico unless they strengthen their borders to his satisfaction.
This comes as President Trump appeared in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and said that while he can’t guarantee that tariffs won’t increase prices for U.S. consumers, ultimately the tariffs “will make us richer.” This was the day after he said.
“All I want to do is have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” he said.
Prime Minister Trudeau said high tariffs would be “devastating to the Canadian economy” and could cause “truly terrible losses across our communities,” and that President Trump’s approach was aimed at destabilizing his negotiating partners. He warned that it would cause “a bit of confusion.”
But he also said Canada exports a variety of goods to the United States, from steel and aluminum to crude oil and agricultural products, all of which will see their prices rise and mean “real hardship” for Americans. He also said that it would be.
“For years, Americans have been paying more than they should for their homes because of unfair tariffs on softwood lumber,” Trudeau said. “Maybe it will make people realize that this is what they are doing.”
“Mr. Trump was elected on a promise to make life better and more affordable for Americans. People south of the border would be much more expensive with tariffs on everything from Canada. I think people are starting to wake up to this reality.”
Experts, including Canada’s former top trade negotiator Steve Verheul, warned that the country needs to be ready to respond if President Trump follows through with his tariff threats.
The prime minister said he was aware of Canada’s calculated approach when President Trump imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, and that his government was still considering the “right way” to respond to the tariffs.
“It is true that we have imposed tariffs on bourbon, Harley-Davidson, Trump, Heinz ketchup, cherries and many other things, and they are targeted very carefully because of their political impact on the president’s party and his colleagues. “It was,” he said.
In doing so, he added, Canada “was able to fight back in a way that Americans actually felt.”
Prime Minister Trudeau also said the country needs to come together and work across political differences.
He was one of Canada’s most influential voices during the turbulent period when NAFTA was under threat, and was recognized by Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe (a frequent political thorn in his side and “not a big fan of mine”). He offered some unusual words of praise.
“His remarks to the southern governors complemented the advocacy we were making, advocating for Canadian workers and Canadian trade, what Canadian unity is, and Canada’s bargaining position. “This is a better example of what the United States can be like, with an incredibly divided and difficult political system,” Trudeau said.
On Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poièvre said “all Conservative parties will tell every American” that tariffs on Canada are a bad idea, taking no time to criticize Trudeau as a weak leader. spent.
One of the caucus members, Conservative lawmaker Jamil Jibani, said he had dinner with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and British conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch in Arlington, Virginia, over the weekend. spoke. He said it was important now to build a “strong country.” Relationships with our allies. ”
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With files from The Associated Press, Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington and Rosa Saba in Toronto. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024.
