Dear Neighbour,
I am relieved to hear that the United States has granted a 30 day pause on the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods and a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products. Canada had taken a strong and united stand in response to these unjustified tariffs, and I appreciate all of the messages I have received from members of our community showing their support for Canadian workers and businesses.
This is not a fight we wanted. President Trump claimed that his threatened tariffs are a result of unmitigated irregular immigration and fentanyl smuggling coming southward from the Canada-USA border. The reality is that less than 1 per cent of the fentanyl and irregular crossings into the United States come from Canada. However, we recognize that we can always improve border security, and we have launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results. Over the past several months, the RCMP and CBSA have completed some of the largest drug-busts in Canadian history.
We were ready in our response. This weekend, our government stated that we would move forward with 25 percent tariffs on $155 billion worth of imported US products, starting with a $30 billion dollar package and adding $125 billion worth of imported goods in the coming days after consultations. The first set of tariffs imposed by Canada were to be on products for which it is easier for Canadians to find non-US alternatives. The government has been preparing relief measures for the workers and industries that would be affected by US imposed tariffs. Hopefully this fight can now be fully averted, but we continue to be ready to stand up for Canada.
I have heard from many of you about President Trump’s repeated comments that Canada should become the 51st state. It was never a funny comment, and I do not consider it to be a joke. My family, like many of yours, chose Canada because it is a beautiful country that provided us with opportunity and safety. I love our rich culture of arts, film and music. I love our parks and nature. I love that we are a country made up of people who look out for one another and care about a safety net. And I love that we are a country that has been at the forefront of innovation, from insulin to artificial intelligence with everything in between. We are a country that knows how to get things done because we aren’t afraid of hard work. In this moment, we are going to need to pull on all of the things that makes our country special to put forward a strong and united response to the possibility of unjustified tariffs and the calls to have us become a US state.
While the US tariffs have been averted, this remains a good time to choose Canada by shopping local and buying Canadian made products. We will get through this by supporting each other and standing up for the country we love. We have many great businesses in our community. Let’s show them our support.
FULL SPEECH | Trudeau says Canada will retaliate with 25% tariffs on $155B of U.S. goods | CBC.ca
List of products from the United States subject to 25 per cent tariffs effective February 4, 2025 – Canada.ca
Government of Canada announces next steps in its response plan to unjustified U.S. tariffs – Canada.ca
Government of Canada announces its plan to strengthen border security and our immigration system – Canada.ca
Made in CA | Canadians, spend your money wisely.
