Premier François Legault will announce Quebec’s response to the first round of and Canada’s counter-tariffs as they come into effect on Tuesday, marking the start of a trade war between the long-time North American allies.
Legault has said up to 160,000 jobs in Quebec could be lost if the sweeping 25 per cent tariffs are maintained.
The cities in Quebec that are most at risk are Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, and Drummondville, according to Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
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Legault has said the province will launch a fund to provide financing to local companies, and is encouraging companies looking to expand to apply for funding with Investissement Québec.
The premier is set to announce his response at 1 p.m. in Montreal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump a “very dumb thing to do,” while warning Canadians of a “tough” road ahead at a press conference in Ottawa.
“Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered,” Trudeau said in a statement Monday night, hours before the U.S. deadline.
In response, Canada has hit back with an initial 25 per cent tariff on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, with additional tariffs on another $125 billion in American goods to come three weeks later.
More to come.
–with files from The Canadian Press
