US President Donald Trump took a swipe at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him “Governor Trudeau” after Canada imposed a 25% tariff on $30 billion worth of US goods in retaliation for Washington’s trade measures.
“Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a retaliatory tariff on the U.S., our reciprocal tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump criticises Canada’s banking policies
In a separate post, Trump accused Canada of unfair trade practices in the banking sector, claiming that American banks face restrictions in Canada while Canadian banks operate freely in the US.
“Canada doesn’t allow American Banks to do business in Canada, but their banks flood the American Market. Oh, that seems fair to me, doesn’t it?” Trump wrote.
The post highlights Trump’s long-standing grievances with Canada’s trade policies, which he has frequently criticized as one-sided.
Trudeau slams Trump’s tariffs: ‘Very dumb’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, calling it a “very dumb thing to do.” At a press conference on Tuesday (March 3), Trudeau referenced a Wall Street Journal article, saying, “Donald, they point out that even though you are a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”
In response, Trudeau announced immediate 25% tariffs on C$30 billion worth of US imports, with plans to expand to C$125 billion within 21 days. “There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today,” he said, adding that Canada would challenge them at the WTO and under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Trudeau accused Trump of intentionally trying to weaken Canada’s economy. “He wants to see a collapse of the Canadian economy because that would make it easier to annex us,” he claimed, referencing Trump’s past comments about making Canada the 51st US state.
“The United States launched a trade war against Canada. Canadians are reasonable. We are polite. We will not back down from a fight,” Trudeau declared.
China retaliates with agricultural tariffs
China has also responded aggressively to Trump’s trade war, imposing new tariffs on key US agricultural and food products. Beijing has imposed new duties on a range of agricultural imports from the United States.
The additional 15 percent tariffs on products including chicken, wheat, corn and cotton are due to come into effect next week.
Tariffs linked to fentanyl crackdown
The Trump administration justified its 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods by accusing both countries of failing to stop the flow of fentanyl and its chemical ingredients into the US
However, both Mexico and Canada have dismissed the claim as baseless and politically motivated.
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Business NewsNewsUs NewsDonald Trump’s ‘Governor Trudeau’ taunt after Canada PM hits back with retaliatory tariffs
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