Canadian officials slammed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tariff plan this week, calling it "insulting."
Trump's Tariffs
Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China immediately after taking office in January.
As part of his plan to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he has proposed a 25 percent tax on all imports from Canada and Mexico, stating it would be among his first executive actions.
Response From Canada
In response to Trump's planned tariffs, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, "To compare us to Mexico is the most insulting thing I've ever heard from our friends and closest allies, the United States of America."
"I found his comments unfair. I found them insulting. It's like a family member stabbing you right in the heart," Ford added.
Ford warned that Canada would be left with no option but to retaliate.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to hold an emergency meeting with provincial leaders on Wednesday, as the Canadian dollar saw a sharp decline in foreign exchange markets. Trudeau confirmed that he spoke with Trump following the former president's tariff threats.
"We talked about the intense and effective connections between our countries that flow back and forth. We talked about some of the challenges that we can work on together. It was a good call," the Canadian prime minister said.
Trump issued the tariff threat on Monday while criticizing a surge in illegal migration, despite data showing apprehensions at the southern U.S. border are near a four-year low. Apprehension figures at the Canadian border remain significantly lower by comparison.
In response, Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said, "We shouldn't confuse the Mexican border with the Canadian border."
Between October 2023 and September 2024, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 56,530 arrests along the Mexican border, compared to 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border over the same period.
"It's the equivalent to a significant weekend at the Mexico border," Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said.
Canada-U.S. Trade Relations
Canada, one of the world's most trade-dependent nations, sends 77 percent of its exports to the United States. Daily cross-border trade amounts to nearly 3.6 billion Canadian dollars (US $2.7 billion) in goods and services. Canada supplies 60 percent of U.S. crude oil imports and 85 percent of its electricity imports. It is also the largest foreign provider of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S., with 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon has prioritized for national security investments.
During Trump's first term, higher tariffs sparked retaliatory measures from affected countries. In 2018, Canada responded to U.S. taxes on its steel and aluminum exports by imposing billions of dollars in counter-tariffs.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
English (US) ·