Reaction to Trump’s tariffs fast and furious in Canada

The reaction to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports and 10 per cent tariffs on Canadian energy was fast and furious in Canada. Here’s a sampling of statements issued by people and organizations. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau “Today, after a 30-day pause, the United States administration has decided to proceed with imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports and 10 per cent tariffs on Canadian energy. Let me be unequivocally clear – there is no justification for these actions. “While less than 1 per cent of the fentanyl intercepted at the U.S. border comes from Canada, we have worked relentlessly to address this scourge that affects Canadians and Americans alike. We implemented a $1.3 billion border plan with new choppers, boots on the ground, more co-ordination, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. We appointed a Fentanyl Czar, listed transnational criminal cartels as terrorist organizations, launched the Joint Operational Intelligence Cell, and are establishing a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force on organized crime. Because of this work – in partnership with the United States – fentanyl seizures from Canada have dropped 97 per cent between December 2024 and January 2025 to a near-zero low of 0.03 pounds seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered. Should American tariffs come into effect tonight, Canada will, effective 12:01 a.m. EST tomorrow (March 4), respond with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion of American goods – starting with tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately, and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion on American products in 21 days’ time. Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. trade action is withdrawn, and should U.S. tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures. While we urge the U.S. administration to reconsider their tariffs, Canada remains firm in standing up for our economy, our jobs, our workers, and for a fair deal. “Because of the tariffs imposed by the U.S., Americans will pay more for groceries, gas, and cars, and potentially lose thousands of jobs. Tariffs will disrupt an incredibly successful trading relationship. They will violate the very trade agreement that was negotiated by President Trump in his last term.” Dan Kelly, President and CEO, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) The Trump administration’s 25% across-the-board tariffs are a massive broadside to the Canadian economy and come at a time of great political and economic uncertainty. Governments across Canada need to move into action mode. The majority of small business owners support retaliatory tariffs but recognize that they will hit an even broader swath of our economy than the US tariffs themselves. Many small businesses have already experienced higher costs, cancelled contracts/orders, and lower demand due to the ongoing threats. Now that they’ve been imposed, we expect to see these challenges rapidly escalate. Sadly, this is not the end of it. We may see additional tariffs on steel and aluminum on March 12 and on another round of products on April 2. Last week, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston followed through on a long-standing CFIB recommendation to break down internal trade barriers by mutually recognizing the rules of other provinces. Ontario Premier Doug Ford signalled he would do the same. Other provinces and territories need to step up now and match these actions to allow for true free trade within Canada. There is no time to waste. The federal government should recall Parliament immediately to ensure that Canadian businesses have the support they need and that every dollar Canada collects in tariffs is returned to affected businesses as quickly as possible. The federal government can also send a clear message that Canada is open for business and investment by providing carbon tax clarity and stopping the April 1 increase, passing legislation to make sure carbon tax rebates are tax free and passing proposed legislation to increase the lifetime capital gains exemption threshold to $1.25M and putting the promised Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive stays in place. Political and policy uncertainty is the last thing the country needs at this moment. As we mark five years since the start of the pandemic, Canadian businesses have faced two massive economic threats – the pandemic and an emerging trade war with our largest economic partner. All of us need to come together and do all we can to support local, independent Canadian businesses. Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress Canada’s unions have been clear about what’s at stake, and yet, despite direct conversations—including at the highest levels—there is still no real plan to protect workers from the economic fallout. Workers need more than just words, they need bold actions to protect jobs and industries. The government must stand up for Canadian workers by pushing back against these tariffs, ensuring robust trade protections, and providing immediate support to impacted workers. Unifor National President Lana Payne After months of taunts and threats that have already hurt investment decisions and jobs in Canada, Trump has fired the first shot in a full-on trade war and now every Canadian politician, business leader, worker and resident must fight back. Trump has seriously misjudged the resolve and unity of Canadians, and he has misjudged how damaging this trade war will be for American workers. These tariffs will hurt working people with higher prices for everyday goods, destroy jobs on both sides of the border and have devastating consequences for highly integrated manufacturing sectors, including auto, across Canada and the U.S., Today our trade relationship forever changed with the U.S. and now we must invest in ourselves, redefine international trade relationships, and build a new, more resilient economy. Catherine Cobden, President and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) The Trump Administration’s determination to enact tariffs on every Canadian product entering the United States, including Canadian steel, is completely unwarranted.  It will bring painful economic repercussions to both American and Canadian workers, their families and communities.  The impact of the tariffs will be felt in the wallets of citizens both to the north and south of the border. Canada has been the Unites States’ most steadfast trading partner for decades including under the USMCA signed in 2020 under President Trump. The entire North American steel industry has benefited greatly from the USMCA.  Beyond that, Canada has worked to align itself with the United States on trade measures to protect our respective steel industries from unfair trade, including 25% tariffs on China, deeply enhanced import monitoring and ensuring that over 95% of the steel supplied by Canada to the United States has originated in the USMCA region. Today’s entry into force of tariffs is just days ahead of another expected round of tariffs for Canada’s steel and aluminium sectors that will cause further grave concern for the tens of thousands of Canadian workers, their families and communities whose jobs and livelihoods depend on these strategic and necessary industries. Combined, these tariffs would put Canadian steel at a 50% tariff rate when entering the United States, which is a comparable tariff level to some of the worst global steel trade offenders such as China.   It is completely shocking for the United States to treat a long-time and fair trading partner in this manner. We remain resolute that Canada must do more to support our industry from this baseless attack from the United States. While we applaud the first step of retaliation by Canada that has been taken immediately, steel must be included at the same tariff level as the United States for all products moving forward.  We also will need all governments in Canada to step up their respective support for our domestic industry at this very difficult time. Last, but not least, we urgently need to extend our own tariff regime dramatically on China, other countries and derivative products to recapture Canada’s market for domestic producers – combined with all levels of government adopting a Buy Canada approach.  We are overdue for ensuring that Canadian-made steel is being prioritized for domestic projects. Richard Alexander, Executive Vice-President, Government Relations and Public Affairs, Restaurants Canada Restaurants Canada condemns the U.S. government’s unjustified tariffs on Canada and supports federal and provincial governments in defending Canadian interests. A tariff war will hurt businesses and workers on both sides of the border. Restaurants are a major driver of the Canadian economy and the fourth largest private sector employer, contributing $120 billion annually and employing 1.2 million Canadians. Our industry supports local economies in every community across the country. We have been and will continue working with governments on crafting a Canadian response that protects Canada while minimizing the impacts on our economy. We applaud recent efforts by the federal government and Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia in reducing interprovincial trade barriers, and we urge other governments to follow their lead. A strong internal trade infrastructure will lead to more product availability, innovation and stability for the Canadian economy. Food is essential and we continue to ask the Canadian government to consider exempting a limited number of specific food items and food packaging from its retaliatory tariff response. Without that exemption prices will increase and hurt Canadians already dealing with affordability challenges. It will also lead to job loss in the foodservice industry. We also urge the federal government to exempt all food from sales tax, as it did during the GST/HST holiday. The two-month period led to unprecedented job growth in our industry—making it permanent would support Canadian job stability and bolster economies across the country. It is an important affordability measure that is good for Canadians, good for workers and good for business. If the government can’t exempt critical food and food-safe packaging from tariffs, it can soften the blow for the foodservice industry by:

• Providing manufacturing credits to enable food and packaging manufacturers to expand production quickly.
• Loosening regulations around packaging requirements from out of country products that may be substitutes for American-made products.
• Rolling out a wage subsidy program to keep employees connected to their workplaces and prevent job losses.

Provincial governments can also help the restaurant industry weather the removal of U.S. liquor from provincial liquor board shelves by deepening Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024 and 2025. About Us Canada’s Podcast is the number one podcast in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, the podcast network has interviewed over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders. The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 200,000 + audio downloads, 35,000 + average monthly social impressions, 10,000 + engaged social followers and 35,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada’s Podcast is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story.