Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegedly cautioned U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance about the ripple effects that will be felt in his home state Ohio as a result of tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel.
A senior official told CBC News the two spoke during an international AI summit in Paris.
According to the Canadian senior official, Trudeau expressed the negative impacts this will have on Ohio to Vance as the state exported over $21 billion in goods to Canada in 2023. However, Vance has not commented on this exchange publicly.
U.S. President Trump announced plans to implement 25-per-cent tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports as of March 12, regardless of the country exporting them “without exceptions or exemptions.”
Trump has pledged to revive the Rust Belt states, including Ohio, by returning steelmaking and other industrial manufacturing jobs.
Trudeau told reporters while in Paris that U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum are “entirely unjustified.”
“We are the [U.S.’s] closest ally,” he said. “Our economies are integrated.”
He went on to say that the federal government will continue to work with the Trump administration to explain how such tariffs will hurt both countries.
Trudeau confirmed that if an agreement to lift the tariffs cannot be reached, Ottawa will respond in kind with matching tariffs.
“If it comes to that, our response, of course, will be firm and clear. We will stand up for Canadian workers. We will stand up for Canadian industries,” he said.
Counter tariffs are now poised to be placed on U.S. steel, vehicles, iron, plastics and plane exports as a retaliatory measure.
Trudeau also announced plans to work in tandem with European leaders to strategize a coordinated response to U.S. tariffs while in Brussels Wednesday to discuss the future of NATO.
