‘Entirely unjustified’: Trudeau says Canada will respond to Trump’s steel, aluminum tariffs if necessary

U.S. President Trump's trade war and annexation threats have prompted Canada and the EU to explore alternative markets. Rachel Aiello has the details.

PARIS, France — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada, are “entirely unjustified,” and “unacceptable.”

Speaking to travelling reporters just as the sun was rising in Paris, Trudeau said that the federal government will be working with U.S. administration in the lead-up to the tariffs coming into effect, to highlight their negative impact, but “if it comes to that, our response of course will be firm and clear.”

“We will stand up for Canadian workers. We will stand up for Canadian industries,” the prime minister said Tuesday.

On Monday, Trump — citing the impacts of global overcapacity on the American domestic market — signed an executive order removing the exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on steel, and increased his 10 per cent 2018 aluminum tariffs.

In Trump’s order, the president states in-part: “These actions are necessary and appropriate to remove the threatened impairment of the national security of the United States.”

Disagreeing with that position, Trudeau pointed to how deeply integrated the Canadian and U.S. markets are, from defence and shipbuilding, to automotive manufacturing. “Together we make North America more competitive,” he said.

This morning Trudeau stopped short of committing to a dollar-for-dollar response as he was ready to do on Trump’s now-paused import tariffs, but Canada did retaliate back in 2018 when similar measures were imposed during the NAFTA renegotiations, before receiving an exemption.

This trade action comes just over a week after the U.S. and Canada agreed to a pause of at least 30 days on tariffs and reciprocal tariffs on cross-border imports.

Trudeau commented briefly, ahead of a plenary session at the AI Action Summit in Paris, alongside numerous world leaders. Among them, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

When Vance arrived at the summit he did not stop to answer questions, including from Canadian media about tariffs and the American administrations’ “51st state” rhetoric.

During the session, Trudeau did speak with Vance and mentioned the impact of steel tariffs in Ohio, according to a senior government official.

The prime minister is in Europe looking to strengthen Canada-EU trade ties in the face of nations on both sides of the Atlantic facing increased economic insecurity and threats from the 47th U.S. president.

Trudeau said Canada will also be working with other allies who have been impacted by Trump’s latest trade action.