Trump’s inauguration arrives, and Trudeau cabinet braces for trade war

Federal furniture ministers are gathering successful Montebello, Que., contiguous arsenic Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Trump has pledged to motion an enforcement bid connected inauguration day to enforce 25 per cent tariffs connected products from Canada and Mexico.

When helium archetypal made the threat, the president-elect said the tariffs were a effect to what helium called inaction by some countries connected keeping migrants and amerciable drugs retired of the United States.

The Liberal authorities laid retired a $1.3-billion program to beef up the borderline successful December that includes other constabulary and borderline guards, helicopters, drones and drug-sniffing dogs.

Trump has since pivoted to saying the tariffs are being introduced due to the fact that of the United States’ commercialized shortage with Canada.

The national authorities has prepared respective plans to respond if the levies travel into spot contiguous — plans that could see billions of dollars successful retaliatory tariffs.

Two national authorities sources who were not authorized to talk publically astir details of the program accidental the authorities is waiting to spot what happens Monday earlier revealing its response.

The sources accidental that if Trump sets the tariffs astatine 25 per cent, Canada’s opening salvo would beryllium counter-tariffs worthy astir $37 billion, with a imaginable 2nd question of tariffs worthy different $110 billion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened a gathering Friday of a recently formed advisory assembly connected Canada-U. S. relations that includes erstwhile premiers, labour leaders and representatives of the car industry.

Trudeau met with the country’s 13 premiers past Wednesday to sermon imaginable retaliatory actions.

At the extremity of those meetings, helium and 12 premiers released a connection pledging to contiguous a agreed beforehand to their American counterparts.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith broke with the group, refusing to motion connected to the connection and posting connected societal media that she cannot enactment the “Team Canada” attack if vigor exports could beryllium portion of the national government’s response.

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Trudeau has said everything indispensable beryllium connected the table, including energy.

Trump repeatedly pledged passim the statesmanlike run to bring down the outgo of state and groceries for Americans.

Canadian officials person been travelling to Washington, D.C., successful caller weeks to effort to person cardinal Republicans that tariffs would execute the other of that.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters connected Friday that galore lawmakers and Trump medication officials she’s met with successful Washington person been amazed to larn astir the imaginable impacts of Trump’s tariffs.

She told CNN that Canada is “pleading for peace.”

“At the aforesaid time, if Trump is going up with tariffs, he’s starting a commercialized warfare and of people we volition retaliate,” she said, adding that it would summation the outgo of groceries, location heating and state for Americans.