U.S. President Donald Trump says there’s “no room” left to negotiate with Canada, as the U.S. plans to enforce 25 per cent tariffs on Tuesday.
Mexico will also be on the receiving end of the tariffs, with the president citing that both countries aren’t doing enough to secure its borders shared with the U.S. In addition, Trump will also apply a 10 per cent levy on energy.
“Vast amounts of fentanyl have poured into our country from Mexico… also from China, where it goes to Mexico and goes to Canada,” Trump said to press at the White House on Monday.
“It comes in from Canada.”
The president says both countries would have to build car plants and “other things” in the United States to get the levies removed.
The executive order had been looming for months, originally threatening to be enacted if Canada did not help to decrease the flow of illegal migrants alongside illicit drugs. The tariffs were delayed in February, after Canada and Mexico had agreed to introduce new security measures.
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Tariffs will affect $30 billion worth of goods imported from the U.S. from food, to clothing, household appliances, according to the federal government.
Earlier today, Trump also suggested on Truth Social that more tariffs could be on the way, specifically on agricultural products, as soon as Apr. 2.
“To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd,” he wrote on the platform.
In Toronto, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off electricity exports to bordering U.S. states if tariffs go through on Tuesday.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything, including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford said to reporters at a mining conference on Monday.
Last month, Ford threatened to scrap all U.S. liquor from LCBO shelves, and also vouched to tear up the province’s $100 million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink “right away,” a satellite service provider that was supposed to supply remote areas of Ontario with internet.
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At the press conference on Monday, Ford said he’d move forward with his past promises, and emphasized that he’ll “win” the trade wars.
“I’ve directed the procurement of over $30 billion of goods not to go to the U.S., to make sure we buy Ontario first. And if we can’t find it in Ontario, we’ll go across the country.”
The premier also said that he’ll be implementing legislation which will spotlight Canadian-made goods on labelling in retail stores.
“I’m asking politely – until I implement it – every retail store… we need to see a Canadian flag on that price.”
