HOUSTON, TEXAS (Editors at Energy Analytics Institute, 31.Jan.2025) — Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country was ready to respond to tariffs of 25% as promised by US president Donald Trump this week.
The tariff is set to go into effect on 1 Feb. 2025, according to details revealed by Trump on 31 Jan. 2025 in an interview broadcast by a major US television network.
“No one — on either side of the border — wants to see American tariffs on Canadian goods. I met with our Canada-US Council today,” Trudeau said 31 Jan. 2025 in a post on X. “We’re working hard to prevent these tariffs, but if the United States moves ahead, Canada’s ready with a forceful and immediate response.”
On various occasions in recent days, Trump has told the press in Washington that he was ready to impose tariffs of 25% on Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.
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This, as the US, Mexico and Canada are parties to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, also known as the USMCA. The USMCA entered into force on 1 Jul. 2020, and substituted the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The USMCA is a mutually beneficial win for North American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses. It creates more balanced, reciprocal trade supporting high-paying jobs for Americans and growing the North American economy, according to details on the website of the Office of the US Trade Representative.
“When we renegotiated our free trade agreement with the US, unions were right there with us. They made sure it was a good deal for workers. Now we’re fighting to protect it — and unions are right there with us again,” Trudeau said in another post on X.
Trudeau said every part of Canada would be impacted by the potential US tariffs.
“We all know the stakes here. We’re all working around the clock to prevent them — and we’re all ready to issue a strong, national response if we need to,” Trudeau said.
Over $3.5bn worth of goods and services cross the US-Canada-US border every single day. Trudeau said the agreement wasn’t just a trade relationship. “It’s one of the most successful economic partnerships in the world — and it’s worth protecting,” he said.
Earlier in the week Trudeau said the Canadian cabinet was focused on protecting its citizens from what they labeled “harmful US tariffs.”
“Canada and the US have a partnership that works for both sides of the border, and we’ll do everything it takes to keep it that way,” Trudeau said.
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By Editors at Energy Analytics Institute. © 2025 Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.