Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s taking a wait-and-see attitude as April 2nd tariffs loom. His comments come after President Donald Trump requested a phone call with the Canadian leader.
A day after Trump announced the 25 percent tariffs on a bulk of foreign auto imports, including from Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately announce counter tariffs.
This past Wednesday, Carney called the auto tariffs a direct attack on Canadian workers. On Thursday, he said it’s clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner.
“The old relationship that we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military co-operations, is over,” Carney said.
Carney did say that with comprehensive negotiations it’s possible to restore some measure of trust, but there will be no turning back.
Labor unions, industry groups, and government officials believe an auto tariff would have a major impact on both sides of the border, especially in Ontario. But workers and their unions say they will fight the tariffs.
So does Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the provincial leader, said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called him, explaining that if at least half of the components of a vehicle were made in the U.S., there would be no tariff.
But Flavio Volpe of the Canadian Auto Parts Manufacturers Association says that won’t help.
“Twelve or twenty-five or fifty or a thousand. The effect is going to be the same. It’s going to grind the industry to a halt on both sides of the border within about a week or so of its implementation.” Volpe said.
For now, Carney isn’t calling for immediate retaliation. He’s waiting until the tariffs take effect on April 2nd. He’s already met with his cabinet committee on U.S.-Canada relations. Today, he’ll meet with provincial premiers, union and business heads, and Indigenous leaders to coordinate a response.
