With $3.6 billion crossing the U.S.-Canada border daily, the economic ties between the two nations run deep. But these ties are now in jeopardy. In a recent announcement, President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to impose a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico, effective his first day back in the White House.
This bold move aims to pressure neighboring countries to intensify efforts against migration and drug trafficking, while advancing the “Buy American” agenda to strengthen the U.S. economy.
Canada’s premiers urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step up border security and defense spending after US President-elect Trump tariff threats.
In a post on social media, Trump said he planned to “charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States. This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem.”
Following the announcement, officials and premiers across Canada met with PM Justin Trudeau to find a solution. Many premiers including Ontario’s Doug Ford and Alberta Danielle Smith urged PM Trudeau to take border security seriously.
Premier Ford said that he has been pushing Trudeau’s government for months to show that Canada cares about US economic and security worries. He said it simply hasn’t moved quickly enough.
“I expressed my hope that this evening’s meeting is the start of a more proactive approach from the federal government, including by showing that it takes the security of our border seriously by cracking down on illegal border crossings and stopping the transport of guns and illegal and illicit drugs like fentanyl, or risk the economic chaos of Trump tariffs. We need action, including more permanent funding for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency,” he said in a statement.
He said that for many months his government has been urging federal government to show that Canada understands, cares and is responsive to U.S. security and economic concerns, including by urging them to match U.S. tariffs on China, ban Chinese software in cars on Canadian roads, delay the implementation of the digital services tax and present a credible plan to meet our NATO defence spending commitments.
Ford was joined by Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, who all made statements demanding stronger action from the government.
Alberta’s premier Smith too said that US has valid concerns related to illegal immigrants. “Although I oppose any tariffs on Canadian or U.S. products, it is my view that President Donald Trump, and the tens of millions of Americans who voted for him, have valid concerns related to illegal migrants and drug smuggling at our shared border. We know that the problem is much more serious at the Mexican-U.S. border, however, that does not diminish the need for the federal government and every province bordering the United States to take immediate steps to crack down heavily on these illegal border activities.”
The statements were sent after a meeting that Trudeau hoped would unify premiers under a “Team Canada” banner to oppose the tariff threat.
Trudeau’s office informed that the Prime Minister and premiers discussed how the federal, provincial, and territorial governments should work together through a Team Canada approach to further strengthen Canada’s close relationship with the U.S. and ensure both countries work together in areas of mutual interest. “This includes fostering trade and investment, upholding the safety and integrity of our shared border, sustaining cross-border supply chains, and supporting Canadian and American manufacturing sectors. The Prime Minister underscored that the federal government has made significant investments to disrupt the scourge of fentanyl from China and other countries as well as to ensure strong border management and enforcement. He emphasized that the number of migrants attempting to travel from Canada to the United States is a fraction of the numbers of those attempting to travel from Mexico to the United States.”
The Prime Minister highlighted that the economic relationship with Canada is one of the United States’ greatest competitive advantages in the context of global strategic uncertainty
The Prime Minister underscored that a 25 per cent tariff would be damaging to Canadian and American workers alike and would lead to job losses on both sides of the border. The Deputy Prime Minister called on premiers to make use of all of their contacts, channels, and abilities to relay important information and messages to Americans and people of influence.
Canada and the United States have one of the closest and most enduring friendships in the world. Both countries share the longest and most secure border on Earth, over which nearly $3.6 billion worth of goods and services cross daily.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre called President Trump’s tariff announcement, “an unjustified threat of a 25 percent tariff on Canada’s already weak and shrinking economy.”
He said Canadians need a plan. Poilievre is calling on Trudeau to put partisanship aside, and in the spirit of Team Canada, to accept that he cannot go ahead with quadrupling the carbon tax to 61 cents a litre.
“This was an irresponsible policy to begin with, but combining this crippling tax increase with potential tariffs from Donald Trump would push our economy into a tailspin. Secondly, Trudeau has to cancel his energy cap, which would see Alberta and Saskatchewan produce 35 percent less energy at a time when we need those jobs. The incoming American President says he wants to cut gas prices in half and the only way to do it will be to import more clean Canadian energy.”
