Trudeau: Trump's stupid trade war is designed to weaken Canada's economy

US President Donald Trump has unleashed a trade war in North America by imposing hefty 25 per cent tariffs on nearly all Canadian goods. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to retaliate. Trudeau told a news conference at Parliament House in Ottawa that Trump is trying to weaken Canada's economy to pave the way for the country to join the United States, but that will never happen.
Trudeau stressed that Canada will not give in to the "completely fabricated and unfair" trade measures and will spare no expense to defend its national interests. He also warned that the tariffs could damage bilateral relations, cause job losses, economic damage and increase inflation on both sides of the border.
Canada has responded by imposing tariffs on $30 billion in U.S. goods and has vowed to impose additional tariffs on $125 billion in additional goods if Trump does not back down. Trudeau called Trump’s actions “very stupid,” saying that this trade war will have no winners and will only hurt American workers and consumers.
Trudeau also dismissed Trump’s claim that the tariffs are due to the flow of fentanyl across the Canadian border as baseless, noting that Canada has taken significant steps in recent months to increase border security and reduce drug trafficking. U.S. Customs and Border Protection data also shows that fentanyl seizures at the northern border have dropped significantly.
Canadian political leaders, including Conservative Party Leader Pierre Pouliève and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, have also supported retaliatory measures. Ford even talked about the possibility of a complete energy cutoff for the United States and increased transportation costs for American commercial drivers.
Meanwhile, US Vice President J.D. Vance claimed that Trump intends to talk to Canada, but stressed that Canada must take a more serious approach to the fentanyl issue. However, data shows that Canada supplies less than 1 percent of the fentanyl smuggled into the United States, with most of the substance coming in through the southern border.
Canadian industries have also warned that the tariffs could seriously damage the successful economic relationship between the two countries and push many businesses and farmers to the brink of bankruptcy. Industry groups have urged Trump to quickly repeal the tariffs to avoid irreparable damage to various sectors of the economy.
Finally, Trudeau emphasized that Canada will defend its interests with unity and determination, and that this trade war will not benefit either side.