Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau sit and smile awkwardly in the White House.

‘Everything is on the table’: Prime Minister Trudeau threatens retaliatory tariffs in response to President Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently made it clear that Canada is willing to stand up against President Donald Trump’s import tariffs. Trump is yet to fulfill his threat of imposing steep tariffs against Canada and Mexico.

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“Of course, if the president does choose to proceed with tariffs on Canada, Canada will respond. And everything is on the table.” Trudeau is clearly not taking Trump’s threat lightly. He continued, “We are prepared for every possible scenario.” The Canadian Prime Minister claimed that he was collaborating with business leaders, unionized labor, indigenous leaders, and premiers from all coasts.

“This is a challenging moment for Canada and Canadians.” Nevertheless, Trudeau finished his stance on the matter firmly. “I want to be clear—we have Canadians’ backs.” Regardless of Trump’s threats, Canada and its prime minister will not be folding. Concerningly, this may be the start of a trade war that will make lives difficult for citizens on both sides.

No sitting duck

One comment from X reads, “The blame will be Trump’s and Trump’s alone.” After all, Trump claimed he would impose a 25% tariff on Canadian exports. The president argued that it would help with illegal border crossings, essentially blaming Canada for lax border security. Trump’s gamble hangs on the hope that Canada will cave in, but even other Canadian officials intend to hit back hard.


Premier Ford of Ontario said, “We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. They will feel the pain.” In a bold move, Ford directed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to clear US liquor off shelves if Trump pursues his tariffs. He also stated that he will urge other premiers to follow suit. Ultimately, the ones losing out on the trade war would be businesses and workers from the US and Canada. While Trump insists on his tariffs, Canadian exporters are contemplating venturing into alternative markets. Trade relations aren’t built overnight, but Trump’s act threatens to sever these ties altogether with Canada.


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Vanessa Esguerra
Vanessa Esguerra (She/They) has been a Contributing Writer for The Mary Sue since 2023. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy, she (happily) rejected law school in 2021 and has been a full-time content writer since. Vanessa is currently taking her Master's degree in Japanese Studies in hopes of deepening her understanding of the country's media culture in relation to pop culture, women, and queer people like herself. She speaks three languages but still manages to get lost in the subways of Tokyo with her clunky Japanese. Fueled by iced coffee brewed from local cafés in Metro Manila, she also regularly covers anime and video games while queuing for her next match in League of Legends.