Trump plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canada as of February 1
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress / Radio-Canada
American President Donald Trump said Monday evening that he was considering imposing customs tariffs of 25% on products from Canada and Mexico starting February 1.
Mr. Trump, who had indicated that he would carry out his threats on the day of his inauguration, Monday, finally indicated that the customs tariffs would be imposed in around ten days, accusing the two neighboring countries of the United States of not do enough against drug trafficking and illegal migration.
At a press briefing on the sidelines of a meeting of the Liberal cabinet in Montebello, in Outaouais, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, and the Minister of Finance, Dominic LeBlanc, maintained that Justin Trudeau’s government was ready for any eventuality.
We have spent the last few weeks working on a plan (…) We are ready to respond to any scenario.
A quote fromDominic LeBlanc, Minister of Finance
Mr. LeBlanc and Ms. Joly both made it clear that efforts were still underway to convince the Trump administration to abandon its tariff threats.
This is an important moment for Canada, insisted Ms. Joly. We must continue to defend the interests of Canadians, to defend our jobs, and we ask all the country’s political leaders to stand up and be united because, more than ever, we must highlight and prioritize our country .
The two officials also wanted to recall that it was in the interest of Canadians to protect the borders with the United States, as demanded by Mr. Trump, recalling that the government presented a plan worth 1, $3 billion to strengthen border security.
Ottawa will wait
The Prime Minister, for his part, is due to hold a press briefing on Tuesday morning and is expected to react to Mr. Trump’s comments.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trudeau kept a low profile, avoiding questions from journalists. On X, however, he congratulated Mr. Trump on his official inauguration, while emphasizing that Canada and the United States have the most successful economic partnership in the world. We have the chance to work together again – to create more jobs and prosperity in our two countrieshe wrote again.
A source well informed about the federal government’s plans told Radio-Canada that Ottawa does not intend to implement the customs counter-tariff plan before the American administration carries out its threats. The Trudeau government still hopes that Mr. Trump will change his mind by February 1, especially since several federal ministers have increased their visits to Washington in recent days.
Minister Joly intends to contact the new US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, with the aim of planning a visit to the US capital in the coming days. Minister LeBlanc, who has already announced his intention to go to Washington next week, is in contact with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, again according to our source.
Earlier Monday, two highly placed sources told Radio-Canada that the Trump administration was positioning itself in anticipation of the review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), scheduled for 2026.
One of the sticking points that arose before the adoption of this agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020, was the issue of supply management. Washington denounces this practice, mainly with regard to dairy products.
