Carney says Canada will ‘fight’ latest Trump tariffs Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking from Parliament Hill on Wednesday, says Canada will act with ‘purpose and with force’ to fight new U.S. tariffs. President Donald Trump slapped new 25 per cent tariffs on foreign-made cars, but Canada was spared the 10 per cent baseline tariffs applied to many other countries.The LatestTrump hit dozens of countries around the world with his latest round of tariffs today, but spared Canada and Mexico.Even though there was no direct hit to Canada this time, other tariffs the president previously announced are still on the table.A 25 per cent auto tariff takes effect at midnight and the levy on steel and aluminum is still in place.Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will fight the U.S. with “force” and “countermeasures,” but didn’t immediately offer details on what those might look like.Carney is expected to hold a news conference tomorrow.UpdatesApril 34 minutes ago4 Republican senators vote against tariffs on Canadian goodsVerity StevensonTim Kaine wants to pressure Trump, Republicans to reconsider Canadian tariffsThe Democratic senator from Virginia has tabled a bill to challenge the Trump administration’s national security justification for tariffs on Canada. Kaine says several Republicans could be inclined to vote in favour of his bill, potentially forcing a similar vote in the House of Representatives.The U.S. Senate resolution calling to block broad tariffs on Canadian products narrowly passed this evening at 51-48.Led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, it called for an end to the national emergency the president used to justify the tariffs.The vote required at least four Senate Republicans to support it. The four Republicans who had indicated they would vote in favour did so, despite Trump taking aim at them in a post on Truth Social early this morning. They are Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.The legislation is largely symbolic because it’s unlikely to make it through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. 29 minutes agoCanada’s auto sector taking the biggest hitAlexander PanettaEmployees work on the production line at the Martinrea auto parts manufacturing plant in Woodbridge, Ont. on Feb. 3. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)Canada’s biggest victims today? The auto sector, followed by steel and aluminum and an assortment of other goods.But the harsh reality is that Canada’s largest manufactured product, autos, still faces a hodgepodge of tariffs: 25 per cent on fully assembled vehicles and some parts, while other parts face none.One Canada-U.S. trade consultant said Canada fared better than most countries today. But it’s cold comfort for certain sectors.“Autos is going to be massively impactful for Canada,” said Eric Miller, the Canadian-born head of the Rideau Potomac consultancy in Washington.”That’s a huge amount of pain for Canada. And you will see a huge amount of restructuring and realignment in the North American auto sector.”One industry player put it even more bluntly, in a social media post, predicting an industry standstill within days, and not just in Canada.“The. Auto. Tariff. Package. Will. Shut. Down. The. Auto. Sector. In. The. USA. And. In. Canada,” Flavio Volpe, head of Canada’s auto-parts lobby, in a post on X.“Don’t be distracted. 25% tariffs are 4 times the 6/7% profit margins of all the companies. Math, not art.”Other Canadian sectors facing large tariffs are steel, aluminum, energy products and anything not traded under the rules of CUSMA.Estimates range for how many goods that covers. But it appears more than half of Canada’s exports to the U.S. may now face tariffs.April 248 minutes agoB.C. pushing ahead with tariff responseRhianna SchmunkB.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon is seen in Burnaby, B.C., on May 27, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)The minister leading B.C.’s tariff response, Ravi Kahlon, said the provincial government isn’t letting its guard down just yet, despite escaping today’s reciprocal tariffs.“The challenge we have is that this continues to change hour by hour, day by day and anything can still happen,” Kahlon said today of Trump’s tariff policies.B.C.’s government is going ahead with its tariff response bill, which is an attempt to break down interprovincial trade barriers and enable the province to charge U.S. trucks driving through the province. B.C. Premier David Eby has said the province needs all the tools it can get to fight the American threat, which he said is designed to “force us into economic servitude to the U.S.”54 minutes agoBlanchet weighs inVerity StevensonBloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet smiles as he walks from his bus after making a statement on tariffs as he heads to former Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume’s book launch in Quebec City, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Trump’s announcement today appears to maintain the status quo for Canada.”It seems we have a chance of being able to complete our election campaign without more American interference,” Blanchet told reporters outside the Bloc campaign bus in Quebec City. Blanchet’s party has lost a significant amount of ground in Quebec in favour of the Liberals in the wake of Trump’s tariff threats, according to CBC’s Poll Tracker. 57 minutes agoPoilievre calls auto tariffs ‘unfair attack’ on Canadian economyDarren MajorConservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is seen at a campaign event in Toronto earlier Wednesday. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is speaking at a rally in Kingston, Ont., where he briefly addressed Trump’s auto tariffs before continuing with his stump speech. He called them “an unfair attack on our economy.”“Trump is going after our autoworkers. For decades, workers on both sides of the border locked arms to build the greatest auto sector in the world. The president is betraying America’s closest friend and attacking our economy,” he told the crowd.Poilievre said if he wins the election he would work to get a deal that immediately removes the tariffs. Earlier in the day, he laid out his plan to respond to Trump. 1 hour agoAlberta’s premier suggests the tariff dispute is ‘behind us.’ Carney warns more pain could be comingAaron WherryAlberta Premier Danielle Smith says in a statement that today was ‘an important win for Canada and Alberta.’ (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)Shortly before Carney stopped to speak to reporters on Parliament Hill tonight, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith posted a statement to social media in which she said “it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us.”But in case anyone was in a mood to celebrate, or merely breathe a sigh of relief, the prime minister offered a few significant notes of caution.”President Trump has just announced a series of measures that are going to fundamentally change the international trading system,” Carney said.And as Carney noted, previously announced tariffs on Canadian goods — including automobiles, steel and aluminum — will remain in place. Additional tariffs, he warned, may yet be applied to pharmaceuticals, lumber and semiconductors. “We’re in a situation where there is going to be an impact on the U.S. economy which will build with time,” he said. “The series of measures will directly affect millions of Canadians.”While repeating his commitment to fight the tariffs and protect workers, Carney also used the word “crisis” to describe the situation.In other words, the only good news is that things could have been worse. There is still a long way to go. And above and beyond trade between Canada and the United States, the ramifications of Trump’s tariffs are only beginning to reverberate. 2 hours agoFord hoping 25% tariff on foreign-made cars ‘not written in stone’Verity StevensonOntario Premier Doug Ford speaks in Ottawa back in January. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been in regular contact with senior U.S. trade officials. He’d been told that cars imported from Canada would only be taxed on their Canadian-made parts.”We did have a conversation with the CEOs,” Ford said, referring to automobile manufacturing companies. “I believe and hope this isn’t written in stone. I believe it’s going to be a lot less than 25 per cent and that’s what I believe from our conversation.”Canada’s auto sector is concentrated in Ontario, particularly Windsor, which has been dubbed the “automotive capital of Canada.”2 hours agoN.B. premier says she’s keeping countermeasures in placeSam FarleyPremier Susan Holt unveiled a tariff action plan earlier this month. (Ed Hunter/CBC)Good evening, I’m a reporter in our Fredericton bureau.New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt is one of the first Canadian leaders to speak out, just two hours after Trump announced his sweeping tariffs on much of the world.While Canada was spared the worst, “that uncertainty doesn’t go away,” Holt said in a sombre tone.She called today a continuation of the status quo of “unnecessary stress and pain for both of our countries.”In a province where over 90 per cent of exports go to the U.S., Holt said the province’s plan to financially support industries impacted here and boycott U.S. business will continue.The provincial government has stopped purchasing U.S. goods and American liquor is off the shelves. About 10 Teslas that the province owns are “sitting in a parking lot” while the province looks into selling them, she added.While steel, aluminum and auto manufacturing are not New Brunswick’s main industries, the province will still face pain, Holt said. “You don’t treat your neighbours like this.”2 hours agoCarney promises to ‘act with purpose and with force’Darren MajorCarney says Canada will ‘fight’ latest Trump tariffs Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking from Parliament Hill on Wednesday, says Canada will act with ‘purpose and with force’ to fight new U.S. tariffs. President Donald Trump slapped new 25 per cent tariffs on foreign-made cars, but Canada was spared the 10 per cent baseline tariffs applied to many other countries.Carney told reporters on Parliament Hill that the government will counter Trump’s auto tariffs and bring in supports for impacted workers.“We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures. We are going to protect our workers,” he said, though he didn’t offer further details.“In a crisis, it’s important to come together and it’s essential to act with purpose and with force,” he said.On the global reciprocal tariffs that Canada has appeared to dodge, Carney said they will “fundamentally change the international trading system.”The prime minister didn’t take any questions. Carney said he will speak with the provincial and territorial premiers Thursday morning. He is also expected to do a full news conference tomorrow.2 hours agoCarney is speaking nowRhianna SchmunkThe prime minister is making a brief statement from the stairwell on his way into a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill.
Live updates: Carney vows to act ‘with purpose and with force’ against Trump’s tariffs
