Canada’s counter-tariffs are now in effect on billions of dollars worth of U.S. goods in response to the recent trade war escalation by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to match Trump’s recently imposed 50 per cent tariffs “dollar-for-dollar,” and trade negotiations fell apart last month.
As the country pivots away from the United States, Carney is warning Canadians that “this won’t be easy, and I won’t pretend otherwise.” He added that the alternative would be far worse.
In a national video address released Tuesday, Carney reiterated Canada’s plan to respond to the U.S. trade war, including retaliatory tariffs which kicked in just after midnight and that are valued at roughly $28 billion.
Carney says the aim is to come out stronger and more resilient so no country can hold Canada hostage.
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Carney says he doesn’t believe in escalating the trade war, but that Canada’s retaliatory tariffs are necessary to protect workers.
Trump’s tariffs of 50 per cent targeted a massive new list Canadian goods with the focus on specific sectors the administration claimed were engaged in “discriminatory” trade actions that negatively impacted the U.S. This included provincial bans on alcohol imports, tariffs on some American made auto exports and quotas on tariff-free U.S. dairy exports.
Within each of the three main categories are hundreds of other Canadian items exposed to 50 per cent tariffs ranging from hockey sticks to floating docks, honey to essential oils and cement to plastics.
Carney has said the tariffs from Trump were designed to harm some Canadians more than others.
For those whose jobs are impacted by these new tariffs, Carney says, “we will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to bridge those people to a better future.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been critical of Trump’s actions on tariffs and his “trolling” of Canada, but he still urged Carney in a news conference Monday to be transparent about the counter-tariffs.
“Every single mother, small business owner and seniors should know what they will pay in these new counter-tariffs to make sure that the people who are not to blame for this … they should not be the ones to pay for it,” Poilievre said.
He also once again called for Carney to put forward the details of the deal that Canada walked away from last month.
The majority of Canadians may be willing to endure some higher prices amid the latest trade war escalations, as suggested by a new Angus Reid Institute survey released Tuesday, which featured about 1,500 Canadian adults participating from Sept. 3 to Sept 4.
Three-in-five (60 per cent) of survey respondents said they are willing to stay the course on Canada’s current negotiating strategy even if it means paying 10 or 20 per cent more for household expenses, including groceries and clothing.
As Canada’s counter-tariffs kick in, are you more or less determined to Buy Canadian? Are you willing to pay higher prices or change brands in order to support the country’s response to Trump’s trade war? Share your stance using the contact form below and we may use some or all of your response in upcoming stories.
– with files from Global News’ Sean Prevail and The Canadian Press
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