A White House official says President Trump will ‘likely’ delay tariffs on Canadians goods by one month, while earlier today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the trade war will continue into the “foreseeable future.”
Thursday morning, Trump announced tariff delays for Mexico, two days after he first implemented them on Mexican and Canadian goods.
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This Agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a television interview to CNBC that Trump will “likely” suspend 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month, broadening an exemption that was granted to the auto sector yesterday.
“It’s likely that it will cover all USMCA compliant goods and services, so that which is part of President Trump’s deal with Canada and Mexico are likely to get an exemption from these tariffs,” Lutnick said.
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Canada, the U.S. and Mexico negotiated the USMCA during Trump’s first term in office in 2018.
Trump’s tariff delay for Mexico comes after he issued a 30-day pause on Canada and Mexico auto tariffs yesterday.
Trudeau spoke this morning and said he had a “colourful” conversation with Trump yesterday, amid reports that the conversation was heated. Trudeau added that he has been speaking with Trump for over eight years now, and a lot of their conversations include “rolling with it and moving forward constructively despite certain unpredictabilities that come in.”
Trudeau then confirmed that Canada will be in a trade war with the U.S. for the “foreseeable future.”
“We’re trying to reduce the areas and impact that these tariffs that the Americans are bringing in and will have on Canadian workers.”
He added that Canada will stand strong and as long as there are unjustified tariffs on Canada, “we will be responding strongly.”
“The goal is to get these tariffs off,” he added.
Trudeau says conversations are ongoing with the U.S. administration but reaffirmed that Canada will not back down from its response tariffs until the U.S. lifts its tariffs.
After Trump initiated tariffs on Canada Tuesday, Trudeau announced that Canada would implement 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on American products.
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