Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said there is “no justification” for the United States imposing 25% tariffs upon it. Canada has also said if the tariffs do come into force at midnight, Ottawa will immediately impose retaliatory levies on American imports.
In a statement issued by the prime minister’s office on Monday evening, Trudeau said, “Let me be unequivocally clear – there is no justification for these actions.”
US President Donald Trump had threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian exports and 10% tariffs on Canadian energy. However, they were paused in February for a 30-day period which expires on March 4.
Trump said on Monday the tariffs were going ahead. “The tariffs, you know, there are all set. They go into effect tomorrow,” he told the media at the White House in Washington.
“No room left for Mexico or for Canada,” he added.
In response, Trudeau said Canada will “respond” with 25% tariffs against CA$155 billion (about US$ 106.93 billion) of American goods, starting with tariffs on CA$ 30 billion (or US$ 20.70 billion) worth of goods immediately, and tariffs on the remaining CA$ 125 billion (approximately US$ 86.24 billion) on American products in 21 days’ time.
“Our tariffs will remain in place until the US trade action is withdrawn,” he said, adding if the American tariffs did not cease, Ottawa was “in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures”.
“While we urge the US administration to reconsider their tariffs, Canada remains firm in standing up for our economy, our jobs, our workers, and for a fair deal,” he said.
Soon after being elected President in November last year, Trump had threatened the tariffs, predicating them on the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl and illegal immigrants from Canada and Mexico into the US.
Trudeau said that while less than one per cent of the fentanyl “intercepted at the US border comes from Canada, “we have worked relentlessly to address this scourge that affects Canadians and Americans alike”.
Canada has implemented a CA$ 1.3 billion (about US$ 897 million) border plan to curb the flow of fentanyl. In its concessions to America, Ottawa has appointed a Fentanyl Czar, listed transnational criminal cartels as terrorist organisations, launched the Joint Operational Intelligence Cell, and is establishing a Canada-US Joint Strike Force on organised crime. He pointed out that fentanyl seizures from Canada have dropped 97% between December 2024 and January 2025 to a near-zero low of 0.03 pounds seized by US Customs and Border Protection.
He added that the tariffs will lead to inflation in America, with higher prices for groceries, gas, and cars, and potentially even resulting in thousands of job losses. “Tariffs will disrupt an incredibly successful trading relationship,” Trudeau said, adding that they violate the Canada US Mexico Agreement which was negotiated during Trump previous term.
