Nova Scotia Prime Minister Tim Houston called President Trump a “myopic man” and announced a series of mutual measures his province will take to address the president's 25% tariff on Canadian goods.
“Donald Trump is a short-sighted man who wields his strength just for that,” Houston said in a post on Social Platform X on Tuesday.
“It's impossible to properly explain the uncertainty and confusion that was a threat to President Trump's tariffs and now the tariffs caused by Canadians actually caused,” he continued.
Tuesday, Canada, Mexico and his Trump 25% tariffs A 10% tariff on China came into effect, causing the market to fall amid concerns over the economic impact of the new tax on goods.
In retaliation, Canada will be hit by the US with a 25% tariff on $30 billion in goods, while Mexico will announce its own tariff.
“And now, as President Trump moves on with his illegal 25% tariffs, Nova Scotia will respond,” Houston added.
Houston said Nova Scotia would stop American businesses from bidding on future contracts with the state government, saying it is “actively seeking the option to cancel existing contracts and reject existing bids until President Trump removes illegal tariffs.”
The state will also double the tolls for commercial vehicles from the US in the highway cooperative pass division, and the state government will direct the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to remove US alcohol from the shelf.
The state took a similar step when Trump first announced the 25% tariff before he agreed to a 30-day delay.
“I know this was the first effective response and hurt American producers who rely on the Canadian market,” he said.
Houston said the province is also taking steps to increase global trade and promote trade with other Canadian provinces.
“We can tell you that we worked so hard to avoid repeating Trump taxes. We know that tariffs are bad for people and businesses on both sides of the border. Unfortunately, some people need to learn by touching a hot stove and not be able to control or predict their behavior, but we can control how we respond,” he said.
