OTTAWA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday outlined retaliatory tariffs covering about 150 billion Canadian dollars (105 billion U.S. dollars) worth of U.S. goods, local media reported.
Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers in Ottawa to discuss the tariff threat posed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. During the meeting, Trudeau said the retaliatory tariffs are part of Ottawa’s planned measures, according to the report.
After the meeting, the prime minister said that “nothing is off the table” in response to possible U.S. tariffs.
Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods exported to the United States unless Canada tightens border security.
On Wednesday, Ottawa and the premiers issued a joint statement demonstrating their collaborative efforts to prevent U.S. tariffs.
Trudeau and the premiers agreed that no one region of Canada should “disproportionately bear the burden” in response to the tariffs.
However, the oil-producing province of Alberta didn’t sign the joint statement.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that if the federal government imposed an export ban on Alberta oil going to the United States as a retaliatory measure, it would prompt a “national unity crisis.”
The premiers are committed to working together on a full range of measures to ensure a robust response to possible U.S. tariffs, including support for sectors, businesses and individuals, the statement said.
According to the statement, if the federal government implements retaliatory measures, it will ensure the rapid deployment of resources to mitigate economic impacts on workers and businesses. This includes the distribution of revenues from potential retaliatory tariffs as quickly as possible.
The premiers are expected to meet weekly following Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trudeau announced Tuesday that he would hold a Cabinet retreat on Trump’s inauguration day to focus on defending Canadian interests.
