“We’re ready with a response – a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response. It’s not what we want, but if he moves forward, we will also act,” Trudeau said in televised remarks
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President Donald Trump with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. AP File
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said that Canada will respond immediately and forcefully if the US goes ahead with a threat to impose tariffs.
Speaking to an advisory council on Canada-US relations, Trudeau said the country was at a critical moment and warned that Canadians could be facing tough times.
US President Donald Trump has set a Saturday deadline to implement a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, citing the need for stronger measures to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and the deadly opioid fentanyl into the US.
Trump has long praised tariffs as effective economic policy. On Monday, Trump called “tariff” the fourth-most beautiful word in the dictionary, behind “God,” “love” and “religion.”
He has used and promised to employ tariffs for three primary purposes: to raise revenue, to bring trade into balance and to bring rival countries to the negotiating table.
“We’re ready with a response – a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immedia