Transcript of Canadian PM Trudeau announces retaliatory tariffs on US

Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US Trade Action with 25% Tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days' time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives. Our response will also be far-reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine, and bourbon, fruits, and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing, and shoes. It'll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture, and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more. And as part of our response, we are considering, with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy, procurement, and other partnerships. We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world. I want to speak directly to Americans, our closest friends and neighbors. This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.

As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially for shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for US security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel, and aluminum. They will violate the free trade agreement that the President and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago. Together, we've built the most successful economic, military, and security partnership the world has ever seen, a relationship that has been the envy of the world. Yes, we've had our differences in the past, but we've always found a way to get past them. As I've said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.