Trudeau hits out at 'dumb' tariffs as Trump warns of further hikes against Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs connected Canada, calling it a "very dumb happening to do" and vowed to behaviour a "relentless fight" to support its economy.

Trump has imposed 25% tariffs connected products entering the US from Canada and Mexico, and has accrued a levy connected goods coming from China.

The Canadian premier curate announced retaliatory tariffs connected US exports and warned that a commercialized warfare would beryllium costly for some countries.

But Trump pushed adjacent further successful a station connected Truth Social, saying: "Please explicate to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that erstwhile helium puts connected a Retaliatory Tariff connected the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff volition instantly summation by a similar amount!"

Trudeau accused the US president of readying "a full illness of the Canadian system due to the fact that that volition marque it easier to annex us".

"That is ne'er going to happen. We volition ne'er beryllium the 51st state," helium told reporters connected Tuesday.

"This is simply a clip to deed backmost hard and to show that a combat with Canada volition person nary winners."

He said that Canada's main extremity remains to get the tariffs lifted truthful that they "don't past a 2nd longer than necessary".

Trump said helium is protecting US jobs and manufacturing, and trying to forestall amerciable migration and cause trafficking. The US president said his extremity is to clamp down connected the almighty opioid fentanyl; helium has variously blamed the different countries for the drug's accomplishment successful the US.

Responding to the accusations, Trudeau said connected Tuesday determination was "no justification" for the caller tariffs, due to the fact that little than 1% of the fentanyl intercepted astatine the US borderline comes from Canada.

Trudeau's words were echoed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said determination was "no motive, nary reason, nary justification" for Trump's move. Speaking connected Tuesday, she excessively vowed to contented her ain "tariff and non-tariff measures" - but said further details would beryllium fixed connected Sunday.

Experts said Trump's tariffs are apt to propulsion up prices for consumers successful the US and abroad.

The 3 countries targeted are America's apical trading partners, and the tit-for-tat measures besides prompted fears of a wider commercialized war.

Tariffs are a taxation connected imports from different countries, designed to support against cheaper contention from elsewhere, and boost businesses and jobs astatine home.

Canada's retaliatory measures see a 25% reciprocal tariff that volition beryllium imposed connected C$155bn (US$107bn; £84bn) of American goods:

• A tariff connected C$30bn worthy of goods volition go effectual immediately
• Tariffs connected the remaining C$125bn of American products volition go effectual successful 21 days' time

Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller warned that arsenic galore arsenic a cardinal jobs successful Canada were astatine hazard if the tariffs were implemented, fixed however intertwined commercialized was betwixt the 2 countries.

"We can't regenerate an system that is liable for 80% of our commercialized overnight and it's going to hurt," helium said connected Monday.

Speaking to the AFP quality agency, a car manufacturing worker successful the Canadian state of Ontario said radical were so "pretty scared" of being laid off. "I conscionable bought my archetypal house," Joel Soleski said. "I mightiness person to look for enactment elsewhere."

The assemblage is 1 that could beryllium severely affected by the caller tariffs authorities successful North America. Car parts whitethorn transverse US-Canada borderline respective times during the manufacturing process, and truthful mightiness beryllium taxed connected aggregate occasions.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose state is location to Canada's car manufacturing industry, told reporters connected Tuesday that helium anticipates assembly plants volition "shut down connected some sides of the border" arsenic a effect of the tariffs.

The tariffs were called "reckless" by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, whose president Candace Laing cautioned that the determination would unit some Canada and the US towards "recession, occupation losses and economical disaster".

Ms Laing warned they would besides summation prices for Americans, and unit US businesses to find alternate suppliers that she said "are little reliable than Canadian ones".

Canadian provincial leaders person vowed their ain responses.

Ford of Ontario mooted the anticipation of cutting disconnected Canadian energy supplies and exports of high-grade nickel to the US, arsenic good arsenic putting an export levy of 25% connected energy sent to powerfulness homes successful Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

Canada exports capable energy to powerfulness immoderate six cardinal American homes.

Ontario and different provinces person besides moved to region US-made liquor disconnected their shelves. In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston said his state volition prohibition American companies from bidding connected provincial contracts, arsenic volition Ontario.

Ford besides announced that a C$100m ($68m; £55.1) declaration with Elon Musk's outer net institution Starlink volition beryllium cancelled.

Meanwhile China - which present faces tariffs of 20% aft Trump doubled an earlier levy - has vowed to combat immoderate commercialized warfare to the "bitter end". It has announced its ain counter-measures - including tariffs connected a scope of US cultivation and nutrient products.