United States President Donald threatened Canada to raise tariffs on Canadian goods on Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that they are slamming 25 percent duties on all products from the US.
On his social media account Truth Social, Trump again called the Canadian PM “Governor” and said that to explain the reciprocal theory to him.
“Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the US, our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
On Tuesday, Trudeau announced the decision in a speech and later shared details on X platform.
“The moment U.S. tariffs came into effect this morning, so did the Canadian response. Canada will be implementing 25% tariffs against $155 billion of American products. Starting with $30 billion worth of goods immediately, and the remaining $125 billion in 21 days’ time”, stated the X post.
Trudeau, while acknowledging Canada as America’s closest partner, ally and friend, stated firmly: “The moment US tariffs came into effect this morning, so did the Canadian response. Canada will be implementing 25% tariffs against $155 billion of American products. Starting with $30 billion worth of goods immediately, and the remaining $125 billion in 21 days’ time.”
“Today, the United States launched a trade war against Canada: their closest partner and ally — their closest friend. Canadians are reasonable, but we will not back down from a fight. Not when our country is at stake,” he added.
During his speech, Trudeau addressed the Fentanyl crisis and the Canadian government’s response. He stressed that the current tariffs were entirely unnecessary and unjustified.
According to Al Jazeera, Trump has consistently promoted his strict tariff policy as a means to enhance domestic industrial production. Besides imposing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, he has implemented broad tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, whilst instructing his advisers to evaluate reciprocal tariffs for potentially unfair trade agreements.
Al Jazeera reported that Trump previously suggested on Truth Social that foreign companies could avoid tariffs by relocating to the US.
