Mark Carney back in Ottawa to address Donald Trump’s trade war – National | Globalnews.ca
Prime Minister Mark Carney is shifting his focus from the federal election campaign once again to address the impact of an escalating global trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney, who retains his caretaker role as prime minister during the campaign, is back in Ottawa to convene a meeting of the cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations and national security Friday morning.
This is the third time that Carney has temporarily suspended his campaign as the Liberal party leader to co-ordinate a response to Trump’s trade actions.
The meeting comes on the heels of a chaotic week for the global stock markets that have nosedived since Trump announced his sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs last week before hitting a 90-day pause on that policy for more than 75 countries to allow for negotiations.
Canada was not included in that list of countries to face “reciprocal” tariffs but does face three other sets of tariffs imposed over the last six weeks: 25 per cent general U.S. export tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant goods, 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. and 25 per cent auto sector tariffs.
At a campaign stop in Brampton, Ont., on Thursday, Carney said Trump’s halt is “a welcome reprieve for the global economy,” but “the impacts of other tariffs and the threat of future tariffs are already being felt around the world and here at home.”
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“So, the stakes have never been higher for our economy,” Carney said while announcing that he will be returning to Ottawa.
Canada has already responded to Trump’s trade actions with counter-tariffs on almost $60 billion worth of American goods, which were announced in retaliation for the 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods and a subsequent round that was retaliation for the steel and aluminum tariffs.
Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles went into effect Wednesday.
Canadians are set to go to the polls on April 28.
Trump’s trade war and repeated threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have emerged as key focal points for Canadians and the federal party leaders in this election.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh weighed in on the trade tensions Thursday.
Poilievre said Trump’s decision to pause global tariffs on its trading partners while keeping other tariffs on Canada was a “historic mistreatment.”
Singh said a lot of Canadians are worried about the trade war and “the roller-coaster ride that is Donald Trump.”
Poilievre is campaigning in St. Catharines, Ont., and Windsor, Ont., Friday, while Singh is in Ottawa.
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