Canada considers imposing tariffs on US products as ‘revenge’ against Trump

Trump’s announcement this week also affected Mexico, the other partner in the T-MEC, the North American free trade agreement.

“When Donald Trump makes these statements, he intends to carry them out,” Trudeau told reporters in the northeastern province of Prince Edward Island.

“There is no doubt,” he added, while some consider Trump’s statement to be, above all, a negotiation tactic.

The announcement represents yet another blow to Trudeau, who is running for re-election in the coming months. The liberal prime minister is far behind in the polls, comfortably led by his conservative opponent, Pierre Poilievre.

In 2023, more than three-quarters of Canadian exports, totaling around 423 billion US dollars (R$2.56 trillion), were destined for the United States.

During Trump’s first term (2017-2021), the United States applied 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% tariffs on aluminum imports, which led Ottawa to respond with customs duties in retaliation.