Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded on Sunday to the United States’ decision to impose a 25% tariff on most Canadian goods, stating that “Canadians did not want this, but are prepared.”
In a post on social media platform X, Trudeau addressed the situation, saying, “We did not want this, but Canada is prepared.” He added that he had met with Canadian Premiers and the Cabinet earlier in the day to discuss the matter and would soon speak with Mexican President Sheinbaum.
“The United States has confirmed that it intends to impose 25% tariffs on most Canadian goods, with 10% tariffs on energy, starting February 4. I’ve met with the Premiers and our Cabinet today, and I’ll be speaking with President Sheinbaum of Mexico shortly,” Trudeau said. “We did not want this, but Canada is prepared. I’ll be addressing Canadians later this evening,” he added.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the tariff measures on his Truth Social platform, citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug smuggling, including fentanyl. Trump revealed that the tariffs—25% on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on Chinese goods—were being implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), as part of efforts to safeguard U.S. citizens.
“Today, I have implemented a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian energy), and a 10% additional tariff on China. This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our citizens, including fentanyl. We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it,” Trump wrote.
Trump had previously indicated that he would follow through with his threat to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting on February 1. While campaigning, Trump had also threatened to impose tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese-made products, but he postponed immediate action upon returning to the White House, opting instead to direct his administration to review the issue.
