Trudeau says Canada will push back on latest U.S. tariffs with Trump administration

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will work to convince the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump his promised tariffs would have a negative effect on both countries.

Trudeau says he will also be working with international “partners and friends” to respond to the tariffs.

“Canadians will stand up strongly and firmly if we need to,” he stated.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to implement 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, beginning March 12.

Trudeau told reporters in Paris, where he is attending an AI global summit that the Canadian government will have a firm and clear response if tariffs are implemented.

“We will stand up for Canadian workers. We will stand up for Canadian industries, and more Canadians will stand up for each other,” Trudeau said. “This is a moment for Canada to be solid.”

Calgary, Saint John, N.B. and Windsor, Ont. are the Canadian cities that U.S. tariffs would hit the hardest, says new research by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

The research shows that cities that export more goods to the U.S. as a share of their local economies are more likely to suffer from the tariffs.

Of the three most vulnerable cities, researchers say Saint John is the most exposed because it’s home to the largest crude oil refinery in Canada – which processes more than 320,000 barrels daily and sends more than 80 per cent of that oil south of the border.

The report said Calgary is the second most vulnerable city because it also exports crude oil and natural gas to the U.S., while cities in southwestern Ontario are exposed because they’re home to Canada’s automotive and parts manufacturing sector.

Canadian cities with less to fear from tariffs include cities on Canada’s coasts, like Victoria and Halifax, that export more to Asia or Europe.

Trudeau did not directly answer when asked whether he spoke with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at an event hosted by the French president the previous evening.

Both Vance and Trudeau are attending a session at the summit today, where Vance is speaking.