U.S. President Donald Trump will hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on Tuesday, with a lower 10 per cent duty for energy, government sources said B次元官网网址� laying the foundation for a trade war with AmericaB次元官网网址檚 closest neighbours.
The federal government informed provinces Saturday that tariffs are coming, said the provincial sources, who cannot be named in order to share details that governments have not yet made public. It is not yet clear which energy exports would be included in the lower tariff category.
The premiers are having a first ministersB次元官网网址� meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau around 4 p.m.
The White House has not officially released any information about the tariffs, which could upend trade in North America, devastate the Canadian economy and trigger inflation in Canada and the United States.
The president travelled to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida Friday night and went to a golf course in West Palm Beach Saturday morning.
The federal government has said it has multiple options for retaliatory tariffs ready to deploy.
Trade Minister Mary Ng posted on social media Saturday, saying B次元官网网址渙ur message is clear: while we value our partnership with the United States, Canada is ready to respond firmly to any U.S. tariffs.B次元官网网址�
Premiers have disagreed on how Canada should respond if Trump follows through on his threats.
Some say everything must be on the table, while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have said exports of oil and other resources like potash should not be included in retaliation plans.
The United States imported almost 4.6 million barrels of oil daily from Canada in October, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Earlier on Saturday, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford reiterated his message for Canada to B次元官网网址渉it back strong.B次元官网网址� Ford has used the tariff threat as a justification for his snap election call.
B次元官网网址淭o President Trump I can only say this: this is not a smart move. ItB次元官网网址檚 selfish,B次元官网网址� Ford said at an election campaign stop in Brampton, Ont.
B次元官网网址淚t not only hurts Canadians, it hurts your own people.B次元官网网址�
The tariffs will have immediate and direct consequences on Canadian and American livelihoods, said Canadian Chamber of Commerce President Candace Laing.
B次元官网网址淭his decision makes no sense when the majority of Americans oppose tariffs, when it harms businesses and workers on both sides of the border, and when the U.S. stock market is signalling that thereB次元官网网址檚 no appetite for disruption,B次元官网网址� Laing said in a statement Saturday.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the tariffs are B次元官网网址渄eeply disappointing and will hit small businesses hard on both sides of the border.B次元官网网址�
The CFIB said in a statement that just over half of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 small businesses are involved in importing or exporting directly to the United States.
Trump, who linked the tariff threats to what he called the illegal flow of drugs and people across the border, didnB次元官网网址檛 implement the duties against Canada on his first day back in office, as heB次元官网网址檇 promised to do. But the president did not back away from his tariff threat and repeatedly suggested the duties were still imminent.
Uncertainty caused by that looming threat has already stalled business investment, said Scott Crockatt at the Business Council of Alberta, earlier Saturday.
B次元官网网址淭hey canB次元官网网址檛 justify spending the kind of money that would lead to expansion and job creation in an environment where theyB次元官网网址檙e just not sure what will come next B次元官网网址� and this period of uncertainty keeps stretching out,B次元官网网址� he said.
Crockatt cautioned the Canadian government against any B次元官网网址渒nee jerkB次元官网网址� reaction that could hurt Canada further, including counter tariffs or embargoes on energy.
Unifor, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest private sector union, said Trump has declared a trade war and there needs to be swift retaliation.
B次元官网网址淲e will never forget this act of hostility against our workers, and we must take every measure possible B次元官网网址� utilize every ounce of creativity we have B次元官网网址� to build a strong, resilient, and diverse economy to never be held hostage by America again,B次元官网网址� Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a news release.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller met with Republican officials, including TrumpB次元官网网址檚 border czar Tom Homan, in the United States capital throughout the week in a last-ditch attempt to avert the tariffs.
The ministers said they shared CanadaB次元官网网址檚 $1.3-billion border security plan, implemented to ease TrumpB次元官网网址檚 concerns. Miller said they also explained facts about the small volume of people and drugs illegally crossing the Canada-U.S. border.
The volume of drugs entering the United States from Canada is minuscule compared to the amounts coming from Mexico and China.
ItB次元官网网址檚 unlikely boosting the border would have made a difference to the president. Trump said Friday that there were no concessions that would stop Canada, Mexico or China from being hit with the levies.
B次元官网网址� with files from Aaron Sousa and Lisa Johnson in Edmonton, Joe Bongiorno in Montreal and The Associated Press
