OTTAWA – U.S. President Donald Trump will hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on Tuesday, with a lower 10 per cent duty for energy, provincial government sources say.
The federal government has been working to reassure Canadians that it is has a robust plan to respond with retaliatory measures.
Here’s the latest (all times Eastern):
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade says the incoming tariffs proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to cost everyday Canadians, causing job losses and hurting businesses on both sides of the border.
Board president Bridgitte Anderson says members are incredibly concerned about the trade war, since more than 50 per cent of B.C. exports go to U.S..
She says if 25 per cent tariffs across the board come into force Tuesday, the province will lose tens of billions in economic activity.
She called it “unwise” to dissolve the long-standing partnership between the two countries, saying their ties go beyond the economic, with shared families, culture and values.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reacted swiftly to the tariffs coming Tuesday, saying they are “deeply disappointing and will hit small businesses hard on both sides of the border.”
The organization says just over half of Canada’s small businesses are involved in importing or exporting directly to the United States.
It’s calling on the Canadian government to take measures such as reducing taxes and cutting red tape that it says would allow small businesses in the country to stay competitive with their American counterparts.
Québec solidaire spokeswoman Ruba Ghazal says the tariffs are “terrible news” for the province’s workers.
She says the combination of tariffs and a cut in public service jobs would be too much for families to handle.
Ghazal called on Quebec Premier François Legault to put measures in place to support those working in the affected industries.
Unifor, the country’s largest private sector union, says Canada must hit back “hard and fast” as U.S. President Donald Trump declares economic war on Canadian workers.
Unifor president Lana Payne says in addition to a “strong response” to tariffs, there should be other measures in place to support local jobs and industries, better manage strategic national resources, and ensure people buy Canadian products.
Unifor has also called for enhanced income supports for workers with better access to employment insurance benefits and emergency relief programs to mitigate the risk of layoffs and sustain companies in their operations.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce calls the incoming tariffs to be imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump “profoundly disturbing.”
Chamber president Candace Laing says in a press release that tariffs will drastically increase the cost of everything for everyone, hurting families, communities and businesses.
She says the majority of Americans oppose tariffs, and that the way to strengthen the Canadian economy is to diversify its trading partners and dismantle unnecessary internal trade barriers to keep goods and services flowing.
Government sources say U.S. President Donald Trump will hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on Tuesday, while imposing a lower 10 per cent duty on energy imports.
The federal government informed provinces Saturday that tariffs are coming, say the provincial sources who can not be named in order to share details that governments have not yet made public.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2025.
