The Canadian Prime Minister said the era of deep ties with the US is “end” as governments from Tokyo to Berlin and Paris skewed criticising Donald Trump's drastic tariffs on car imports and several threatening retaliation measures.
Mark Carney warned Canadians that Trump had permanently changed relations and that he “will never return” regardless of future trade deals.
He told reporters:
The prime minister called Trump's automobile fares “unfair” and said they were violating existing trade agreements between the nation.
Carney discussed a coordinated response to talk to the state's premier and business leaders on Friday, saying retaliatory measures are expected next week.
“Our response to these latest tariffs is to fight, to protect, to build,” Carney said. “We plan to fight US tariffs with our own retaliatory trade measures that have the biggest impact in the United States and minimal impact in Canada.”
Trump announced Wednesday that he would impose a 25% tariff on cars and auto parts shipped to the US starting April 3rd.
Last year, the US imported approximately $475 billion (£36.7 billion) worth of cars, mainly from Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Germany. European car manufacturers alone sold over 750,000 vehicles to American drivers.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday he told his US counterpart that tariffs were not a good idea. They “disrupt the value chain, create an inflationary effect, and destroy jobs. So it's not good for the US or the European economy,” he said.
Paris will work with the European Commission on a response aimed at rethinking Trump, he said. Berlin officials also emphasized that the committee would defend free trade as the basis for the EU's prosperity.
German Prime Minister Olaf Skoltz dulled Trump's decision, saying Washington “only the losers lied to the losers, as tariffs and isolation hurt prosperity.”
French finance minister Eric Lombard called the US president's plan “very bad news” and said the EU would be forced to raise its own tariffs. His German counterpart, Robert Habeck, has promised a “stable response from the EU.” “We won't be lying down this,” he said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass said that Europe is approaching the United States with common sense, but “not on our lap.” Good Atlantic relations are “strategic issues” and he said multiple prime ministers and one president must survive.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the move was “bad for businesses and bad for consumers” because “taxes are taxes.” She said the bloc will continue to seek negotiated solutions while protecting its financial interests.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said tariffs were “very concerned” and his government would be “practical and clear” accordingly. The UK “doesn't want a trade war, but it's important to keep all your options on the table,” he said.
One option for Canada is to impose excise tax on the exports of oil, potash and other goods. “Nothing has been off the table to protect our workers and our country,” Carney said.
South Korea said it would implement a full emergency response to Trump's proposed measures by April.
China's Foreign Ministry said the US approach violates the rules of the World Trade Organization and “does not encourage it to resolve its own problems.” The spokesman Guo Jiakun said, “The country's development and prosperity will not be achieved by imposing tariffs.”
Japan's prime minister, Prime Minister Isbaiba, said Tokyo has “at the table for all options.” Japan says, “We're making the biggest investment in the US, so I think that makes sense. [Washington] To apply uniform tariffs to all countries,” he said.
Reuters and Agency France press contributed to this report
