‘We have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours’: Trudeau reacts to U.S. tariffs

Hours after Donald Trump slapped strict tariffs on Canadian imports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the U.S. that the better path is to partner with Canada, “not punish it.

” “Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at-the-ready to work together,” Trudeau said, speaking at a Saturday evening press conference in Ottawa. “Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart.” The comments came hours after Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25 per cent tariff on almost all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on energy, marking an era of economic uncertainty on both sides of the border.



Both China and Mexico face steep tariffs as well. The Canadian prime minister spoke after President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China. (AP Video / Feb.

1, 2025) The measures, in place as of Tuesday, come despite Canadian officials’ best efforts, including weeks of cross-border meetings and persistent public messaging encouraging strong trade partnerships between the two countries. For weeks, the Trump administration has framed the measures as a necessary response to a “national emergency” at the U.S.

borders, amid what it’s described as an influx of “gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illicit drugs of all kinds.” Trump’s threatened to leave the tariffs in place until satisfied Canada is taking appropriate measures to stop the flow of illegal drugs. At Saturday’s press conference, Trudeau announced Canada would respond with retaliatory tariffs; 25 per cent against $155 billion worth of American goods.

Speaking directly to American citizens, he warned of real, harmful consequences from Trump’s actions. “As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shut down American auto assembly plants. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery store and gas at the pump.

They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel and aluminum.

They will violate the free trade agreement that the president and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago.” He also denied Trump’s claims that Canada is playing a “central role” in drugs pouring through its border, instead suggesting less than one per cent of illegal fentanyl that makes its way into the U.S.

originates north of the border. Earlier this month, an RCMP spokesperson told the Star reports do not indicate that Canada is trafficking significant amounts of fentanyl into the U.S.

According to CBSA data, 4.9 kg of fentanyl was intercepted between January to October of last year, just over four kilograms of which was bound for the Netherlands, leaving less than a kilogram between exports to the rest of the world, including the U.S.

“We too are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth, we must work collaboratively to fix this,” Trudeau told reporters. After accusing Trump’s actions of “splitting apart” Canada and the U.S.

, Trudeau told listeners on both sides of the border “it doesn’t have to be this way.” “As John. F.

Kennedy said many years ago, geography has made us neighbors, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies.” That rang true for many decades prior to Kennedy’s time in office, he went on; “from the beaches of Normandy, to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders, to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you. During your darkest hours, we were always there, standing with you, grieving with you.

” Shifting his focus back home, Trudeau addressed Canadians directly. “I’m sure many of you are anxious, and I want you to know we are all in this together – the Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labor, Canadian civil society, Canada’s premiers and tens of millions of Canadians from coast-to coast-to-coast are aligned and united.” There are many ways for Canadians who don’t approve of strict tariffs to send a resounding message, Trudeau explained.

“It might mean checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian made products (...

), opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky bourbon, or foregoing Florida orange juice altogether.” Still, the Prime Minister maintained faith in the two countries ability to overcome their challenges and uncertainty, citing “a friendship that has “stood the test of time.” ”(We have) through challenging times before, but we always make it through because we’ve been able to count on each other for over 150 years, and we will continue to be able to do that long into the future,” he said.

“We will continue to be friends and neighbors.”.