Ottawa, March 27: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports, calling it a “direct attack” on Canada. He warned that the escalating trade war is hurting American consumers and workers.
“This is a very direct attack. We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies. We will defend our country,” Carney said, adding that he would review Trump’s executive order before taking retaliatory steps.
Speaking in Windsor, Ontario, ahead of Canada’s April 28 election, Carney announced a $1.4 billion “strategic response fund” to protect Canadian auto jobs impacted by the tariffs. “Canada will be there for auto workers,” he vowed. Autos are Canada’s second-largest export, employing 125,000 people directly and nearly 500,000 in related industries.
The tariffs, which take effect in April, could raise costs for automakers and reduce sales. Ontario Premier Doug Ford warned of simultaneous plant shutdowns on both sides of the border if the levies proceed. “The President is calling it Liberation Day. I call it Termination Day for American workers,” Ford said.
Carney also highlighted the trade relationship’s importance, noting that the Ambassador Bridge, which handles 25% of US-Canada trade, carries $98 billion in goods annually and $281 million daily. “Now those numbers and the jobs and paychecks that depend on them are in question,” he said.
Trump had previously imposed 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and threatened broader levies on all Canadian products starting April 2. The US president has also repeatedly suggested that Canada should become America’s 51st state—a stance that has infuriated Canadians.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister on March 14, has yet to receive a call from Trump. “It would be appropriate that the president and I speak given the action he has taken. I’m sure that will happen soon,” he said.
Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Trump’s move, warning it would harm American auto workers as much as Canadian ones. “The message to President Trump should be to knock it off. He’s changed his mind before. We can suspect that may well happen again,” Poilievre said.
