5/3/2025–|Last update: 3/3/202502:32 PM (Mecca time)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the customs duties imposed by US President Donald Trump on his country’s imports as “a very stupid thing.”
Trudo, who will step down this week, accused Trump of the desire to destroy the Canadian economy, to make the process of annexing Canada to the United States easier.
Speaking hours after Trump launched a commercial war on Mexico and Canada, Trudeau announced the imposition of instant customs duties 25% on American imports worth 30 billion Canadian dollars, and said that if necessary, Canada would target other imports of $ 125 billion in Canadian dollars within 21 days.
“There is absolutely no justification or need for these customs duties,” Trudeau told reporters, adding that Canada will challenge US measures in the World Trade Organization and through a trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Trump accused Canada of not doing enough effort to stop the flow of deadly opioid fentanel and chemicals that enter into its composition to the United States, the argument that Trudeau described as “fake and completely unjustified.”
Customs
For his part, opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Boalifier said that Trump stabbed the best friend of the United States in the back.
This came in a statement yesterday, Tuesday, in which he strongly criticized the American president, who announced that he would impose additional customs duties on Canada.
“My message to the president is that Canada will respond strongly,” said Boualifer, adding, “We will defend our people and our economy, and we will put Canada in the first place.”
He explained that the new customs duties will harm both sides, and that the American people began to pay the price with the decline in the stock market and the high prices of gasoline.
Boalifier said that many workers in the United States will lose their jobs due to the low ability to reach Canadian raw materials that Washington buys at ridiculous prices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beaxcyj8i7w
Radding relationships
Trudo’s relations with Trump – which have never been warm – have deteriorated in the past few months after the US President said that Canada would become the 51st American state, and sarcastically referred to Trudeau as its “ruler” and not the prime minister.
Trump says he is upset with the tripartite trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, which he signed in his first term.
Trudeau reduced the importance of the idea of opening talks before the review scheduled for 2026.
Economists say that Canada – which sends 75% of all exports to the United States – will slide into stagnation unless customs duties are raised quickly.
Trudeau said that the Americans will also suffer, given the extent of the economy of the two countries, and pointed to the editorial of the Wall Street Journal in late January, which said Trump would ignite “the stupid commercial war in history” if he went ahead with the imposition of customs duties.
