Alberta’s premier has responded to the latest tariff announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the threatened increase would hurt economies on both sides of the border while also denouncing Canadian retaliatory tariffs.
In a post to social media, Danielle Smith says the threat of 35 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports would be “a tax on the American people” that would hurt businesses in Canada and the U.S.
Smith also called out retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa that she says would only further weaken the Canadian economy.
“We need to become an economically stronger and more independent country without further delay or excuse,” reads the statement. “It’s time to repeal these terrible laws that continue to weaken our economy, make us dependent on a single customer, and hold back the prosperity of our country.”
Smith has previously called for the federal government to scrap several “Trudeau-era” pieces of legislation that she argues hamper oil and gas development.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will meet with his cabinet next week to discuss Trump’s new tariff threat on Canadian goods.
Carney said Thursday his government will “steadfastly” defend workers and businesses. In a late-night post on social media, Carney said Canada will continue to work to secure a trade deal with the U.S. by a revised deadline of Aug. 1.
In a letter to Carney on Thursday, Trump wrote that if Canada works to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, he may consider a tariff adjustment.
The president also took aim at Canada’s dairy sector and supply management, saying American dairy farmers are charged “up to 400%” in tariffs if they “even have access to sell their products” in Canada.
With files from The Canadian Press