In Toronto on Friday morning, Trudeau tried to reassure a concerned country during what he called a ‘critical moment’
OTTAWA — On the eve of a possible trade war with the United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a message for Canadians: The country could be headed for tough times and he knows people feel anxious.
He could have put it in an even simpler way: Just like everyone else, he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.
Millions of Canadians were already thinking it. Trudeau’s own cabinet ministers, dispatched to Washington to get face time with Republican lawmakers and members of Trump’s administration, left those meetings with the knowledge, as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said after sitting down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week, “the ultimate decision maker is President Trump.”
New uncertainty was injected into an already volatile situation on Friday following a report by Reuters, citing three unnamed sources, that Trump was now expected to announce Canada and Mexico would face tariffs on their imports beginning March 1 and include an option for countries to ask for exemptions on specific products.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Trump told reporters the date of Feb. 1 for slapping 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports remained in place, but that he wanted to take a look at whether to include Canadian oil, given the volume received by the U.S. He had said a decision would be made Thursday evening, but the day ended with nothing confirmed. The Wall Street Journal also reported advisers were looking for alternatives to hitting Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board trade levies.
By Friday afternoon, however, the White House quickly slapped down the suggestion that Trump would be open to delaying the imposition of his long-promised tariffs.
“I was just with the President in the Oval Office, and I can confirm that tomorrow, the Feb. 1 deadline that President Trump put into place in a statement several weeks ago continues,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. “These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” she added.
“Starting tomorrow those tariffs will be in place.”
Leavitt said the question of whether Trump would include oil in his plan would become clear later once the public gets to see exactly those tariffs look like once they are released Saturday. China would also be getting hit with 10 per cent tariffs, she said.
The White House was emphatic on the rate Canada and Mexico should expect: 25 per cent, a number that premiers, industry and union leaders have warned would devastate Canadian jobs. The Bank of Canada also cautioned that a trade war based on 25 per cent tariffs would trigger a recession.
Doug Ford, on the campaign trail to win reelection as Ontario’s premier, delivered his own warning to the U.S. president.
“If President Trump proceeds with these tariffs, Canada can and should make him regret them.”
Speaking as he sat down with members of his own special council convened on Canada-U.S. relations in Toronto on Friday morning, Trudeau tried to reassure a concerned country during what he called a “critical moment” that, no matter what happens, Canada has a plan.
A plan to not only retaliate in a way that would be “purposeful, forceful” but also “reasonable” and “immediate,” Trudeau said, but a plan to deal with any scenario that emerges.
“Of course,” Trudeau said, “I won’t sugar coat it.”
“Our nation could be facing difficult times in coming days and weeks. I know Canadians might be anxious and worried, but I want them to know the federal government and indeed all orders of government have their backs.”
According to his critics, Trudeau could and should be doing more.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said Trudeau needs to crack down on security along the Canada-U.S. boundary, which Trump has named as the main reason for wanting to impose tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products. Both the Opposition Conservatives and federal NDP say he should recall Parliament, with New Democratic Partly Leader Jagmeet Singh saying he’s open to helping the Liberals pass legislation necessary to offer financial support to workers, should tariffs become a reality.
The government has shown no signs of being willing to recall Parliament earlier than March 24.
Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s former finance minister and deputy prime minster who led Canada’s effort in renegotiating its free trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico during the first Trump administration, released a statement through her Liberal leadership campaign that Canada should release a list of potential retaliatory tariffs “on $200 billion worth of American imports.” She also wants to target Tesla, owned by Elon Musk.
The point, she said, is to “hit Trump where it hurts.”
As the clock ticked down to Feb. 1, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller made last minute trips to join Joly in Washington, trying to convince the Trump administration that Canada has listened to its border concerns over fentanyl and illegal immigration and has begun executing a six-year $1.3 billion border plan. This, despite government officials saying less than one per cent of the deadly drug and migrants enter the U.S. through Canada.
Just this week alone new helicopters began patrolling the border, Trudeau said on Friday.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who remains the government lead when it comes to border security, also texted a three-minute video of the improvements it has made to Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Commerce Department.
As for what Trump has to say about Canada’s threat of retaliation, the White House said to expect the president to have more to say.
If Canada can expect anything, it would be that.
With files from Jordan Gowling and Antoine Trepanier and The Canadian Press
National Post
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