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Retalitory tariffs, withheld energy possible as Canada plots response to Trump

B次元官网网址楢 number of premiers spoke out strongly in favour of a robust Canadian responseB次元官网网址
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to questions from the opposition during Question Period, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Canada is preparing retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. president-elect Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 threat to levy a 25 per cent import tax on all Canadian goods, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to withhold the provinceB次元官网网址檚 energy, which it exports to five states.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off,B次元官网网址 Ford said immediately after a meeting of the countryB次元官网网址檚 premiers with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some members of the federal cabinet.

It was the second such meeting since Trump made the tariff threat, and the first since Trudeau flew to Florida to have dinner with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

In a Nov. 25 social media post, Trump said he would impose tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico unless both countries stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S.

Ford told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that the federal government is preparing retaliatory tariffs.

B次元官网网址淲e need to be ready to fight, this fight is 100 per cent coming on Jan. 20 or Jan. 21,B次元官网网址 he said, referencing the date of TrumpB次元官网网址檚 inauguration.

In Ottawa, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters B次元官网网址渁 number of premiers spoke out strongly in favour of a robust Canadian response to unjustified tariffsB次元官网网址 during the virtual meeting late Wednesday afternoon.

B次元官网网址淪ome premiers proactively identified products that their provinces produce and export to the United States and which the U.S. relies on, and which should be considered as part of the Canadian response. This included some critical minerals and metals.B次元官网网址

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government shared details of its border plan with the premiers, who offered to contribute provincial resources to the effort.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to incorporate many of the positive suggestions that the premiers made into finalizing our border plan,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淎nd then obviously a priority will be to share details of this plan with the incoming Trump administration and with Canadians in the coming days.B次元官网网址

Ford said the premiers are on board with the plan to deal with TrumpB次元官网网址檚 concerns about the border, but it needs a bit of B次元官网网址減olish.B次元官网网址

The premiers also asked for more B次元官网网址渂oots on the groundB次元官网网址 at the border, including increasing the number of officers with the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP, which Trudeau agreed to do.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai said in an interview he B次元官网网址減ersonally was very impressed by what Canada put on the table in a response to border security and the illicit trade of fentanyl.B次元官网网址

Freeland noted Canada responded to U.S. tariffs in 2018, and said B次元官网网址渙ur response worked.B次元官网网址

During TrumpB次元官网网址檚 first administration, he used his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports.

Canada and other countries brought their own duties, targeting products for political, rather than economic, reasons. One of those was a 10 per cent yogurt duty, where most of the product impacted came from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ultimately, Canada was able to negotiate an exemption.

The first ministersB次元官网网址 meeting came a day after Trump launched more jibes at Trudeau on social media, calling him governor of B次元官网网址渢he great state of CanadaB次元官网网址 B次元官网网址 a nod to his ribbing that he might just have Canada join the U.S. as its 51st state.

Ahead of the meeting, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said some conservative premiers have been giving off B次元官网网址渧ery mixed messages,B次元官网网址 and now is the time to send signals of unity and a show of strength.

B次元官网网址淲hat we need to do is acknowledge Trump is a bully. Bullies look for weakness. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why heB次元官网网址檚 trolling us,B次元官网网址 Singh said, demanding a clear plan of action.

Lawmakers are days away from starting an extended winter holiday break, but when MPs return to Parliament in January, it will be after the presidential inauguration B次元官网网址 making TrumpB次元官网网址檚 social media taunts and threats all the more serious.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in the face of that the government needs to strike the right tone.

B次元官网网址淭his is the first inning. Yeah, sure, thereB次元官网网址檚 some goofy stuff going on, thereB次元官网网址檚 some shenanigans, but we have to be serious about this. Canadians expect their government to be serious about the border, about making sure Canadians are safe and secure,B次元官网网址 he said on Wednesday morning.

B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 be arguing against ourselves and at cross purposes, I think thatB次元官网网址檚 really important,B次元官网网址 he added. B次元官网网址淏ecause anything the U.S. does impacts Canada so severely, this isnB次元官网网址檛 the time for partisanship.B次元官网网址

Canada has vowed to beef up border security in the face of TrumpB次元官网网址檚 threats, despite a lack of evidence for his claims about illicit fentanyl pouring into the U.S. from Canada.

Singh accused Trudeau of so far only acquiescing to TrumpB次元官网网址檚 demands.

But Liberal MP Sean Casey said itB次元官网网址檚 not a problem if it appears Canada is bending to TrumpB次元官网网址檚 pressure.

B次元官网网址淲hether it looks like weB次元官网网址檙e caving to his demands is completely irrelevant,B次元官网网址 he said as he headed into the caucus meeting. B次元官网网址淚f his demands are aligned with the best interest of Canada, the perception of the relationship doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter.B次元官网网址

WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 high-level meeting also comes days before Ford hosts the fall premiersB次元官网网址 meeting in Mississauga, which lasts Sunday through Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.

B次元官网网址 With files from Nick Murray and Liam Casey in Toronto

Anja Karadeglija and Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press





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