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Topics: Canada, Donald Trump, Politics
Callum Jones
Topics: Canada, Donald Trump, Politics
Mark Carney, the newly installed prime minster of Canada, has a defiant message for President Donald Trump following recent tariff developments between the two countries.
Ever since President Trump returned to office back in January, tensions between the two neighboring countries have risen to unprecedented heights.
Last month, Trump announced that he would target imported vehicles and vehicle parts that fell under the 'United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement' with a 25 per cent tax, stating: "This is permanent."
And in the same month, the POTUS also imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, on top of a 25 per cent duty on steel and aluminium imports.
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In response to the automobile tax, The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement: "The consequences of today's escalation in this destructive tariff war will not be contained to Canada, as much as the U.S. administration would like to pretend.
"Throwing away tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border will mean giving up North America's auto leadership role, instead encouraging companies to build and hire anywhere else but here. This tax hike puts plants and workers at risk for generations, if not forever."
Canada also responded by issuing $20.7 billion ($29.8 billion CAD) tariffs for US imported goods, which came into effect on March 13.
It seems as though Canada is determined to remain victorious as Prime Minster Carney had a strong message for Trump on Saturday (April 5), insisting 'we will win' in relation to the trade war with the US.
He said: "In this trade war, like in hockey and soccer, we will win. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone drops the gloves."
Carney has previously said Canada's old relationship with the US is 'over' amid previous close ties between the two nations.
"The president of the US is trying to fundamentally restructure his economy, it means our economy and it means the global economy as well," Carney previously said.
“I understand and respect his goal to support American workers, but I disagree with him that this is how to help them.
“I reject any attempts to weaken Canada, to wear us down, to break us so that America can own us, that will never happen.
“Our response to these latest tariffs is to fight, is to protect and to build.
“We will fight the US tariffs with retaliatory trade actions of our own, that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here in Canada.”
Carney added Canada will not consider removing these tariffs until the US gives it the respect it deserves.
Canada isn't the only one fighting against Trump's tariffs. Following his 'Liberation Day' announcement on April 2, China has also hit back at the businessman's 54 per cent tariff, increasing their US tariff to 34 per cent.