Liberal Leader Mark Carney has paused his campaign and is back in Ottawa on Thursday to deal with the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed auto tariffs, which would wallop the industry in Canada.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump delivered a blow to the cross-border auto trade, vowing to bring in aย new 25 per cent tariff on finished vehicles imported into the United States, startingย next week.
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians jobs are connected to the auto sector โ the largest manufacturing industry in Canada and second-largest source of exports to the U.S. after oil.
Carney suggested late Wednesday that retaliatory measures could be announced. He has convened the committee on Canada-U.S. relations and national security on Parliament Hill to map out a response.
“This is a violation and he has betrayed our trade agreement,” Carney said. “A response will happen soon. I won’t say more. When it comes to our options, we do have options.”
Earlier in the day, Carney promised a $2-billion package to protect Canada’s auto industry if elected April 28.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trump needs to “knock it off” with his trade war.
“We had the best trade relationship in the world, in the history of the world, before these unnecessary interruptions struck our economy, and they’re hurting both sides of the border,” he told reporters Wednesday evening.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Trump’s latest action was a “full frontal attack on autoworkers.”
U.S. President Donald Trumpโs announcement of 25 per cent foreign vehicle tariffs has been criticized by Canadaโs federal party leaders, who were on the road for Week 1 of the election campaign. CBCโs Karina Roman recaps the reactions.
“There are hundreds and thousands of workers right now that are wondering if their line is going to shut down and if they’re going to lose their job…. We’ve got to fight back like hell,” he said.
Bloc Quรฉbรฉcoisย Leader Yves-Franรงois Blanchet called for Parliament to return the same week of the election and for all parties to support a wage subsidy to enable businesses to keep their workers employed throughout the crisis.
“Every week, Donald Trump adds to his list of reprehensible economic attacks that will hit Quebec on April 2. Let’s not wait any longer to reassure our businesses and workers,” he said in a statement Thursday.
Earlier this month, and before the election call,ย the government had announcedย a more thanย $6-billion aid packageย for businesses impacted
It also relaxed the rules around a program that allows employees to receive partial EI benefits while working reduced hours. The government said that will increase access to the program and lengthen the time that those benefits are typically available.
Carney is expected to return to the campaign trail Thursday afternoon after the morningย meeting.ย
