Canadian prime ministers name for robust response to Trump tariff menace, minister says By Reuters

By Nia Williams

(Reuters) – Some Canadian prime ministers are urging Ottawa to reply forcefully to new U.S. President Donald Trump’s menace of tariffs and have highlighted vital minerals and metals as merchandise the US depends on, the minister mentioned on Wednesday of Finance Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and different authorities ministers met with provincial premiers to debate Trump’s promise to impose excessive tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports after he’s inaugurated as president in January.

The pledge has raised fears of a commerce battle between the US and two of its largest buying and selling companions.

“A lot of premiers have strongly supported a sturdy Canadian response, together with proactively naming vital minerals and metals that their provinces produce and are exported to the US,” mentioned Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland , to journalists after the assembly.

Proper now, Canada is emphasizing contact with U.S. officers, Freeland mentioned, including that Canadian enterprise and labor leaders are additionally in touch with their U.S. counterparts.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford mentioned vitality exports to the US may be disrupted, with out giving additional particulars.

Ontario exports electrical energy to the US, however produces not one of the 4 million barrels of oil per day that Canada ships south of the border.

“We are going to use each instrument at our disposal, together with slicing off the vitality we ship,” Ford instructed reporters.

Trudeau mentioned Monday that Canada would reply to unfair tariffs, because it did over the last Trump presidency, when Ottawa added tariffs on merchandise akin to bourbon, Harley Davidson bikes and cherries.

Trump mentioned he would preserve protectionist commerce measures till Canada and Mexico take motion in opposition to medicine and migrants crossing U.S. borders.

The federal authorities additionally mentioned deliberate border safety measures with premiers, Public Security Minister Dominic LeBlanc mentioned, including that Canada would then share these particulars with Trump’s staff as soon as they’re finalized.