Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will “be all over” the federal government to retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest economic wallop to Canada’s steel and aluminum industries, while Prime Minister Mark Carney suggested Ottawa is holding off on any swift response.
Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park hours after the U.S. doubled levies on steel and aluminum imports, the outspoken premier called for Carney’s government to “slap another 25 per cent on their steel.”
“We can’t sit back and let President Trump steamroll us,” said Ford. “Every single day that it goes by gives uncertainty through the sectors, it adds additional cost on the steel. So we need to react immediately.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation to officially increase steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 per cent, up from the previously announced 25 per cent tariffs. Despite another round of talks between Canadian officials and their U.S. counterparts, Canada is not exempt from the tariff hike.
Carney did not commit to further retaliation Wednesday morning and would only say his government is having “intensive discussions” with the United States to remove what he calls an “unjustified and illegal” increase.
Stopping briefly to speak to reporters, Carney reiterated what his office already put in a written statement — that there are ongoing discussions between the two countries to chart a new economic and security deal.
“We will take some time — not much — some time because we are in intensive discussions right now with the Americans on the trading relationship,” Carney said ahead of a caucus meeting.
“Those discussions are progressing.”
Canada says no deal yet
Ford suggested to reporters that the two countries are close to a deal after Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc visited Washington earlier this week. But senior officials downplayed those comments.
Canada’s envoy to Washington, Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, said it’s “too soon to say we are close” to a deal.
“It was a good conversation but we have more work to do,” she said in a statement. “We will stand firm until we get the right deal for Canada.”
Trump has argued the doubling in tariffs is necessary to protect national security and industries in the United States.
“They are bad for American workers, bad for American industry and, of course, for Canadian industry as well,” said Carney.
In a statement on Tuesday, Carney’s office said all funds collected from Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on over $90 billion, before remissions, of U.S. imports will go to supporting Canadian workers and businesses impacted by the U.S. tariffs.
Canadian steel and aluminum industries say doubling the tariffs will have a devastating impact. The industries are already dealing with job losses and a drop in shipments, as Canada is the top exporter of those metals to the U.S.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the government’s priority is to fight the tariffs.
“The steel and aluminum industry is key to Canada’s prosperity, and we’re going to be there fighting,” he said.
Ahead of a Liberal caucus meeting, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government is in ‘intensive discussions’ with the United States after tariffs on steel and aluminum increased from 25 to 50 per cent.
The Conservatives said they’ll push for an emergency debate in the House of Commons on Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs.
“The ‘elbows up’ prime minister promised Canadians he was the ‘man with a plan’ to stop U.S. tariffs on Canadian industry,” said Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman on social media.
“U.S. tariffs have only gotten worse since Carney took office.”
During a news conference on Parliament Hill, Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, urged against rash moves that could have unintended consequences.
“In this moment it is understandable that we would want to show fight and I think we had that sense from Canadians with the onset of tariffs,” she said Wednesday.
“We need to also show strength and show smarts in this moment.”
Carney and Trump will see each other in just over a week at the G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Alta.
