LIVE UPDATES: Canada vs Trump in tariffs battle
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Following a phone conversation Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that U.S. President Donald Trump is pausing threatened 25% tariffs on most Canadian goods. Trudeau says he and Trump discussed Canada’s $1.3 billion border plan, which includes helicopter patrols, and announced $200 million in new initiatives to address fentanyl trafficking.
These new initiatives include a joint Canada-U.S. organized crime task force, Canada listing drug cartels as terrorist entities, and the appointment of a “fentanyl czar.”
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Here’s the latest (all times eastern):
7:45 p.m.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government will pause its response to threatened American tariffs after a 30-day reprieve was negotiated today between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Eby says it doesn’t mean the province will abandon its plan, and it will be prepared for a possible social media post from Trump saying the tariffs are back on.
He says U.S. liquor will be going back on shelves of government-run stores, but diversification of B.C. export markets will be an ongoing goal.
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7:45 p.m.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said during an interview on CNN that “cooler heads” prevailed following the announcement earlier in the day from U.S. President Donald Trump that he was pausing promised tariffs on Canadian goods.
Ford stood in front of a banner that read “Canada is not for sale” during the TV appearance, but didn’t directly address Trump’s repeated insistence that Canada should become the 51st state when it was raised during the interview.
Instead, he says there’s no reason for Canada to be for sale.
He says the only people who get rewarded when there’s a dispute between “two of the closest and friends and allies in the world” is China.
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6:30 p.m.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says North Americans can breathe a sigh of relief after U.S. President Donald Trump delayed tariffs on Canada by 30 days.
Moe told CBC that the pause will allow leaders to continue efforts to prevent the U.S. from imposing the tariffs.
The premier gave credit to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc for securing the 30-day reprieve.
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6:25 p.m.
The premiers of Nunavut and Yukon say they will halt the removal of U.S. alcohol from their shelves after Canada secured a 30-day pause on tariffs.
A spokeswoman for the Yukon government says it will continue the policy work on possible tariffs to ensure it is able to respond accordingly in the future.
Nunavut says it will only pull U.S. alcohol products off shelves if the tariffs move forward in March.
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5:45 p.m.
New Brunswick’s premier says she’s glad Canada and the U.S. could work together to secure a 30-day pause on tariffs.
Susan Holt says the province remains ready with its tariff response plan, which includes not purchasing new American liquor products.
She has said American products will remain on provincial liquor store shelves for now.
Holt says she’ll be going to Washington next week to advocate for a permanent removal of the tariffs.
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5:40 p.m.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the pause on U.S. tariffs is good news for Canada and its workers.
Although he says it means standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats is working, he also says those threats won’t stop.
Singh says the Canadian economy needs to be less reliant on what he calls “unreliable allies.”
He also advocates buying Canadian and building Canadian to create jobs north of the border.
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5:37 p.m.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s “greatly heartened” that the U.S. and Canada have agreed to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and other illegal activities at the border.
Smith says the appointment of a “fentanyl czar” is something her government has been calling for since it became clear in their discussions with U.S. lawmakers and officials that it would be a key part of reaching a deal to avoid tariffs.
She repeated calls for provincial and federal leaders to “de-escalate rhetoric” and to focus on diplomacy.
She says she’ll be going to Washington, D.C., next week with fellow premiers to continue diplomatic efforts, and again later in the month to attend the Republican governors conference.
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5:30 p.m.
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is calling on the United Conservative government to create an all-party committee on market diversification.
He says nothing has been done on that critical file for the five years the UCP has been in government.
Nenshi accuses Premier Danielle Smith of parroting the talking points of U.S. President Donald Trump and taking credit for something she had no part in.
He says other premiers have been hard at work on protecting their citizens.
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5:25 p.m.
The Manitoba government is putting plans on hold to remove U.S. alcohol products from liquor stores and cut off American companies from provincial government contracts.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he is holding off on imposing broad tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods for 30 days. The tariffs were set to take effect Tuesday.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says it shows that Canadians are effective when they stand up for themselves.
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5:05 p.m.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault welcomes the “good news” but laments that “uncertainty remains.”
Legault says “what’s annoying” about dealing with Trump “is that there’s always this sword hanging over our heads.”
Legault adds the events of the past few days emphasize the importance of diversifying markets and limiting Canadian dependence on American exports.
American products will be back on the shelves of Quebec liquor stores.
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4:57 p.m.
Trump says that he is “very pleased” with the initial outcome of his tariff threat following his phone conversation this afternoon with Trudeau, and the potential levy will be paused for 30 days.
In a post on his own social media platform Truth Social, Trump copy and pastes Trudeau’s earlier statement summarizing Canada’s efforts on the border and fentanyl.
Trumps says that over the next 30 days, the two countries will see whether a “final Economic deal” can be reached.
The president’s statement does not include any comment about wanting to make Canada the 51st state, a sentiment he shared in the Oval Office earlier today.
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4:48 p.m.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that American alcohol products will not be removed from LCBO shelves, now that the tariff threat has been paused for 30 days.
The premier says that if tariffs are imposed, he will not hesitate to launch retaliatory action, including prohibiting American companies from provincial procurement contracts and taking the booze back off the shelves.
The provincial government has also paused plans to cancel a $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink to improve rural broadband. Ford said earlier today he wouldn’t work with people who “destroy” Canadian families, incomes and businesses.
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4:36 p.m.
Trudeau says the tariff threat has been paused for 30 days while Canada and the U.S. work together.
Trudeau says that he had a “good call” with Trump and talked about implementing a $1.3 billion border plan that includes helicopter patrols.
The prime minister adds that Canada is making new commitments to appoint a “fentanyl czar,” list cartels as terrorist entities, launch a Canada-U.S. joint strike force to combat organized crime, and ensure “24/7” eyes on the border.
Trudeau says these new commitments will be backed with $200 million.
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4:20 p.m.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries says the American liquor pulled from its shelves will be put in storage.
It also says customers are welcome to return American products under standard return conditions.
The Crown corporation is pulling American-made products, but not American brands such as Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft which are bottled in Canada.
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4 p.m.
Trump holds an event in the White House to congratulate the Florida Panthers on winning the Stanley Cup last year over the Edmonton Oilers.
The whole team and staff dress in outfits similar to Trump’s: blue suits, white shirts and red ties. Trump calls the move “cute.”
There are 13 Canadians on the Panthers Stanley Cup team.
Trumps asks the team if they’ve ever heard of famed hockey player Wayne Gretzky. The president has said previously that Gretzky would make a great “governor” for Canada.
3:35 p.m.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Trump has made it clear the tariff threat isn’t about the border or trade deficits, but instead about making Canada a state.
In a comment posted to X, Singh says Canada “will not surrender our water, our health care, our values to Donald Trump.”
Earlier this afternoon, Trump said he wants to see Canada become the 51st state and that would “100 per cent” happen if people “play the game right.”
Trump and Trudeau are speaking on the phone this hour.
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3 p.m.
Cereals Canada says looming U.S. tariffs will sever cross-border supply chains and damage the long-standing relationship between the two countries.
It says the U.S. is Canada’s sixth largest market for non-durum wheat, fourth for durum wheat, second for barley and first for oats.
Dean Dias, the group’s CEO, says the tariffs will drastically reduce the availability of grains across North America and increase the cost of food.
He says the U.S. depends on Canada for more than half of its durum wheat and oats, and the costs of tariffs will be passed on to American consumers.
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2:40 p.m.
The Canadian Bankers Association says there are 16 U.S.-based bank subsidiaries and branches that do business in Canada that hold a combined $113 billion in assets.
This comes after Trump claimed Canada does not allow American banks to open or do business in the country.
Trump’s comments followed his morning call with Trudeau about the 25% tariff, which was originally centred on border security issues like illegal migration and drug trafficking.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants to see Canada become the 51st state.
2:30 p.m.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government says her cabinet is soon meeting to discuss potential next steps in response to U.S. tariffs.
Other provincial premiers say they’re moving to restrict or cancel contracts with American firms, and banning U.S. alcohol sales in provincial liquor stores.
When asked whether Alberta’s government is considering similar moves, spokesperson Sam Blackett says in a brief statement that cabinet “will consider actions that could be taken by Alberta’s government.”
Smith has said her province will continue its diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute, and is calling for her Canadian counterparts to step up to help build domestic oil and gas pipelines.
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2 p.m.
Trumps says he doesn’t know what Trudeau could do that could result in Canada getting the same tariff pause offered to Mexico this morning.
“What I’d like to see” Canada become our 51st state,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
The president says he’d like to see vehicle manufacturing take place entirely in the U.S. and insists the country doesn’t need Canada’s energy.
Trump said if “people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100 per cent certain they become a state.” He added it wouldn’t be without pain, but that pain would be mostly on the Canadian side.
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1:45 p.m.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the House of Commons should be reconvened to respond to the tariff threat and is pitching his own response to U.S. border concerns.
Speaking in Vancouver, Poilievre said he would have military assets deployed on the border, including helicopters, hire at least 2,000 more CBSA officers, build border surveillance towers and deploy drones to watch for incursions and track deportees to ensure they are leaving.
Poilievre is also calling for the removal of interprovincial trade barriers like the patchwork of regulations on professions like trucking.
Poilievre did not share his thoughts on Mexico getting a tariff pause because he was not on the call Trudeau had with Trump this morning.
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1:30 p.m.
Trump says in the Oval Office that he had a “great” talk with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who is deploying 10,000 troops to the border, but adds tariffs are not off the table as negotiations begin between the two countries.
Mexico received a one month pause on 25 per cent tariffs that were to be introduced Tuesday morning.
Trump says Canada is “tough” to do business with, adding that Canada does not allow American banks to do business in the country.
Trump and Trudeau are expected to speak again at 3 p.m.
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12:37 p.m.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says that it’s “unfortunate” to see the U.S. impose tariffs that force his province to take action.
Furey says the tariffs are an attack on Canadian identity and values and “unless you stand up to a bully, you will continue to be bullied.”
Furey says the provincial liquor stores sell about $26 million worth of American products annually, and they will be removed from the shelves at midnight tonight.
The premier says this action “hurts” as American brewery Coors has a bottling operation in the province.
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12:35 p.m.
Trump’s planned 25% tariff on Canadian grain is little more than a 25% tax on American families, a leading Canadian agricultural group says.
The Grain Growers of Canada says the tariffs would see Americans paying more for products made with the $17 billion worth of Canadian grain imported into the U.S. annually.
“This isn’t just a tariff on Canadian farmers — it’s a tax on every American family purchasing loaf of bread, oatmeal, canola oil, and other food staples at the grocery store,” association executive director Kyle Larkin said.
“A 25% tariff is, in effect, a 25% tax on American consumers.”
Canadian canola exports alone — used in biofuels and cooking oil — amounted to about $8.5 billion in 2023.
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12:20 p.m.
The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations says provinces and territories cannot exclude First Nations as they make plans to retaliate against U.S. tariffs.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says any conversations about critical minerals, oil and gas or any other commodity must include First Nations, and communications with the provinces and territories have been limited to date.
She says tariffs threaten the economic stability of First Nations businesses, disrupt critical supply chains and undermine the principles of nation-to-nation relationships.
She says she’ll be meeting with her counterparts in the U.S. in the coming weeks to talk about cross-border mobility for Indigenous Peoples and cooperation in light of the tariff threat.
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12:15 p.m.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she has instructed city staff to work with the federal and provincial governments to respond to looming U.S. tariffs.
Chow says Toronto will have an action plan that will include a buy-Canadian initiative to prioritize buying local goods and services.
She says the city’s plan will also include a review of Toronto’s procurement policies and contracts.
Chow says she is convening a team of the city’s largest employers and key labour leaders to provide advice as Toronto moves to respond to the U.S. tariffs.
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12:05 p.m.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he is looking for ways to prevent companies in the United States from bidding on provincial contracts.
Kinew says cabinet ministers with portfolios tied to the economy have been tasked with looking at changes to procurement procedures.
Kinew says if U.S. President Donald Trump is bent on taking jobs out of Manitoba, the province has to fight back.
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12:00 p.m.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada should look at making the Canada Border Services Agency a branch of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Moe says he brought the idea forward when the premiers met with Trudeau and members of his cabinet last month to talk about Canada’s tariff response.
The Saskatchewan premier says that bringing the CBSA into the military would increase border resources and defence spending in one move, which would help Canada get closer to its NATO commitment of spending two per cent of GDP on defence.
He’s calling on Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc to consider the proposal.
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11:15 a.m.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says her government will stop signing deals with American companies, except for critical services that cannot be “immediately replaced.”
Like some other premiers including Ontario’s Doug Ford, she has directed her province’s liquor seller to stop purchasing U.S. alcohol and remove American products from the shelves.
NB Liquor sells about $40 million worth of American products annually.
11 a.m.
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10:50 a.m.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her country is being granted a one-month reprieve from U.S. tariffs.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Sheinbaum says she spoke with Trump this morning and calls it a “good conversation” with “great respect” for Mexico’s sovereignty.
She says Mexico has agreed to station 10,000 members of its national guard on the U.S. border to combat drug trafficking with a focus on fentanyl.
In exchange, Sheinbaum says the U.S. committed to working on preventing the movement of high-powered weapons into Mexico.
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10:30 a.m.
Poll results released today suggest that almost two-thirds of residents in the Maritimes expect to travel less to the United States because of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The Narrative Research survey of 1,618 residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. — conducted between Jan. 30-31 _ found that 62 per cent of respondents said they would spend less time travelling south, with the top reason being dissatisfaction or disagreement with Trump’s leadership. One-third of those curtailing their travel cited financial reasons specifically related to tariffs, and opposition to Trump’s economic policies.
A similar survey in December found only 37 per cent of respondents were expecting to travel less to the U.S.
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10:30 a.m.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says U.S. President Donald Trump is causing Canadians to face some of their toughest challenges ever with tariffs coming into effect on Tuesday.
He says that if Canada is going to win the fight, everything needs to be on the table and policy-makers must identify critical points of leverage for maximum impact.
Ford, who is campaigning for re-election, announced today that he would rip up a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s satellite internet constellation Starlink, following the premier’s announcement that the province’s liquor monopoly would pull American products off the shelves.
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10:25 a.m.
Impending American tariffs have given the Doug Ford PCs their highest approval ratings in nearly a year, new polling suggests.
The Liaison Strategies poll, commissioned by the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC,) found the Ontario Progressive Conservatives doubled their lead over the previous week, pulling a 43% approval rating among decided and leaning voters compared to the Bonnie Crombie Liberals at 31% between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
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10 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office confirmed he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump this morning and will speak with him again later today.
Trump has linked his coming trade war with Canada to fentanyl crossing the border into the U.S., but in a post on Truth Social he also questioned why Canada, in his words, “doesn’t even allow U.S. banks to open or do business there.”
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U.S. GOODS FACED WITH CANADIAN TARIFFS
Here are some of the major categories of items imported by the U.S. being hit with Canadian tariffs, along with their approximate annual dollar values:
— Cosmetics and body care: $3.5 billion
— Appliances and other household items: $3.4 billion
— Pulp and paper products: $3 billion
— Tires: $2 billion
— Plastic products: $1.8 billion
— Precious gems and metals: $1.7 billion
— Furniture: $1.6 billion
— Wood products: $875 million
— Coffee: $714 million
— Grains: $600 million
— Wine, grape spirits and other products: $589 million
— Cocoa products: $569 million
— Tools and cutlery: $560 million
— Dairy: $555 million
— Sugar and sugar-containing products: $542 million
— Sauces and dressings: $517 million
— Fruits: $512 million
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