Canada is “ready” for a trade war with the United States, according to Minister Mélanie Joly

Ms. Joly participated in a series of meetings Thursday in Washington, focusing, among other things, on border security, trade and investments.

“I spoke in particular about Donald Trump’s tariff threats and their negative impacts on our economy,” she said in a virtual conference Friday morning. “I am in Washington to defend the interests of the country.”

The minister spoke with both Republicans and Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Idaho Senator James Risch. According to her, the senators do not want these threats to be implemented. “We have allies,” she added.

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During her virtual conference, Ms. Joly affirmed that we must take Trump’s threats “seriously” and that we must prepare for them. “Many American elected officials were unaware of the devastating impacts [de ces menaces] in both countries,” she said, adding that many of them were surprised.

“When it comes to working with President Trump, we know that the ultimate decision-maker is him. It’s the president himself. So, we must not take anything for granted and we must defend ourselves,” she said on Friday.

The meetings took place days before President-elect Donald Trump took office, who has promised to impose 25% tariffs on all products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico.

Even if the measures came into force on Monday, Canada will already be able to respond with a series of measures related to imports, confirmed Ms. Joly.

“We are ready to put maximum pressure because it is a trade war that President Trump would start,” she warned in a virtual press conference. “We are more organized than the Americans opposite.”

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, American elected officials are not aware “how essential Canada is to them” on several levels. “If President Trump ever moves forward, the Americans will find out,” she said, giving the example of the economic impact, namely the price at the grocery store.

Mélanie Joly also met Thursday evening with the outgoing American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, with whom she has worked closely in recent years on global issues, notably the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson was also in the US capital this week. He said Thursday that Mr. Trump’s plan for tariffs was unclear, even among Republican senators and congressmen.

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chaired a first meeting Friday morning of his Council on Canada-US Relations, an advisory committee that must “support the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers at this crucial time for relations between Canada and the United States.

At the start of the meeting, Mr. Trudeau maintained that we will “continue to be there as Canadians, strong, reasonable, not looking for a fight, but we will be there for the fight if it is necessary”.

“We hope not,” he added.

Three former provincial premiers, Jean Charest, Rachel Notley and Stephen McNeil, are part of the Council on Canada-American Relations, as is Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman.

Earlier this week, Mr. Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers in Ottawa on Wednesday to discuss the country’s response to Mr. Trump’s threat.

Moreover, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legaut, addressed the Americans in an open letter on Wednesday. Titled A tariff in Canada is self-inflicted damagethis letter discusses the “long-term” consequences if President-elect Donald Trump carried out his threats regarding customs tariffs.

“Instead of opposing each other, let us continue to build a great North American economic power: it is in our mutual interest,” he argued.

With information from The Canadian Press