"A very dumb thing to do," Trudeau says as Canada hits back at Trump’s tariffs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that Canada will “not back down” from the ongoing trade war, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s justification for imposing tariffs on Canadian imports.

According to BNN Bloomberg, Trudeau called Trump’s reasoning a “bogus” excuse to destabilize Canada’s economy and make annexation easier.

Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy, following the expiration of a 30-day reprieve.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Trudeau criticized the US administration’s actions.

“Today, the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend,” he said. “At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense.”

Trudeau emphasized Canada’s stance, stating, “Canadians are reasonable, and we are polite, but we will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the wellbeing of everyone in it is at stake.”

Since November, Trump has maintained that tariffs aim to stop the flow of illegal migrants and drugs over the borders.

However, he has also praised tariffs for their own merit, reiterating his comments about making Canada the 51st state.

He has stated that the levies could be avoided if Canada agreed to annexation, adding that he is prepared to use “economic force” to achieve this goal.

Trudeau dismissed Trump’s latest rationale.

“Even the excuse that he’s giving for these tariffs today, of fentanyl, is completely bogus, completely unjustified, completely false,” he said. “So, we actually have to fold back on the one thing he has said repeatedly, that what he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that’ll make it easier to annex us.”

With tariffs in place on both sides of the border, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested negotiations might be possible.

In an interview with Fox Business, Lutnick said he has been in discussions with Canadian and Mexican officials “all day” regarding measures to curb fentanyl trafficking, adding that “the president’s listening.”

Lutnick ruled out a pause but suggested a compromise might be reached. “None of that pause stuff, but I think (Trump is) going to figure out, you do more, and I’ll meet you in the middle some way and we’re going to probably be announcing that tomorrow,” he said.

Appearing on CTV News Channel’s Power Play, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly appeared skeptical about the possibility of a middle-ground agreement.

She noted that before launching the trade war, the US did not communicate with Canada.

“We’ll see what will happen in the State of the Union speech of the president tonight before Congress, but let’s be frank, we’ve done the work at the border,” she told host Vassy Kapelos. “We’ve done everything to make sure that the Americans would be happy.”

Joly confirmed a scheduled call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but acknowledged uncertainty over Trump’s intentions.

“Being frank, at the end of the day, the only person that really does a deal is the president, and the people around him are always trying to guess what he will do,” she said. “None of them know exactly what the president wants.”

Canada responds with countermeasures

Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs, consisting of two phases.

The immediate round targets $30bn worth of US goods, while a second round—expected to take effect in 21 days after a public consultation period—will add $125bn in tariffs on a wider range of American products.

Trudeau reaffirmed the plan, originally announced last month, and addressed Trump directly on Tuesday while flanked by Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Joly, and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.

“Now I want to speak directly to one specific American,” Trudeau said. “Donald. In the over eight years, you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things,” he said, referencing past trade agreements.

Trudeau criticized Trump’s decision, stating, “You’re a very smart guy, but inciting a trade war is a very dumb thing to do.”

According to Canada’s finance department, the retaliatory plan includes a 25 percent tariff on US goods such as food, alcohol, clothing, furniture, and appliances, as well as lumber and paper products.

Trudeau reiterated that Canada would challenge Trump’s “illegal actions” through both the World Trade Organization and the USMCA agreement.

However, he confirmed that Canada’s countermeasures will remain in place until American tariffs are removed.

As part of its initial efforts to prevent Trump’s tariffs, Canada introduced a $1.3bn border plan. This initiative included appointing a fentanyl czar and increasing border enforcement with additional personnel, drones, surveillance equipment, and helicopters.

The plan, part of an 11th-hour agreement with Trump last month, secured the 30-day tariff reprieve.

Lutnick described the tariffs as an “opioid-related tactic” in an interview with CNBC.

Speaking with CNN on Monday, he said, “The border was wide open. We needed to close it, and we want our trading partners to close it.”

While acknowledging Canada and Mexico’s recent efforts, Lutnick stated they were insufficient to significantly reduce US fentanyl-related overdose deaths.

Trudeau rejected this justification.

“Let me be crystal clear: there is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today,” he said. “Now, the legal pretext your government is using to bring in these tariffs is that Canada is apparently unwilling to help in the fight against illegal fentanyl. Well, that is totally false.”

Tariff impact and political response

Trump claims “drugs are still pouring” into the US from Canada, but data from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) contradicts this.

CBP reported that illegal border encounters between Canada and the US decreased by over 80 percent between June and November last year.

Additionally, fentanyl seizures at the border dropped by 97 percent in January 2025 compared to December 2024.

On Wednesday, the RCMP reported seizing over 46 kg of fentanyl and 15,765 fentanyl pills and other synthetic opioids between December 9, 2024, and January 18, 2025, as part of a national crackdown on fentanyl trafficking.

Despite these figures, Trump stated last Thursday that Canada “should be apprehending more.”

US Vice-President JD Vance echoed this view, claiming fentanyl was the “underlying element” of the tariffs and asserting that Canada has not taken the issue seriously.

Premiers across Canada have responded, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford vowing strong retaliation.

In an interview with Meet the Press, Ford threatened to halt Ontario’s nickel exports, cancel US government contracts, and cut off electricity to New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Ford announced that Ontario will impose a 25 percent export tax on electricity immediately and plans to fully halt electricity exports next month if Trump proceeds with further tariffs.

“I’m highly recommending to [US] President Trump, don’t force our hand,” he said. “You underestimate Canadians. You’re making a massive mistake.”

Liquor control boards in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba have begun pulling US alcohol from store shelves.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also announced procurement restrictions for US businesses and increased tolls for American commercial vehicles.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, while critical of the tariffs, was cautious in her response.

“To see this escalation is so disappointing, so damaging,” she told CNBC. “We’re going to challenge it, and we would like to get back to negotiating some of the pressure points on that.”

Trump’s response and political fallout

Trump has announced further tariff measures, including 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum starting March 12, in addition to reciprocal tariffs.

Responding to Canada’s countermeasures on social media, Trump wrote, “Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the US, our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling for an emergency return to Parliament, demanding support for Canadian workers affected by the tariffs.

“This is not something that we wanted,” Singh said. “It is unwarranted, it is wrong, it’s illegal, and we are going to fight back.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also stated that “Canada will fight back” and supports retaliatory tariffs, suggesting revenue from tariffs should fund tax cuts and worker relief. He added that Canada must use this trade war to diversify its export markets.

Parliament is scheduled to resume on March 24, after the Liberal Party selects Trudeau’s replacement as leader.