Canadian PM Mark Carney calls Trump's new auto tariffs 'a direct attack'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney fired back at President Trump's newly-announced 25 percent tariff on foreign-made car imports, describing it as a "direct attack" on Canada's workers and vowed that U.S.'s northern neighbor will eventually "emerge stronger."
“This is a direct attack, to be clear, a direct attack on the very workers that I stood in front of, Unifor workers I stood in front of this morning at the Ambassador Bridge, a bridge that is a symbol and a reality up until now, of the tight ties between our two countries, ties of kinship, ties of commerce, ties that are in the process of being broken,” Carney said during a press conference on Wednesday. “
“We will defend our workers. We will defend our companies,” he added. “We will defend our country, and we will defend it together.”
Trump said on Wednesday that the new 25 percent tariff would apply to “all cars not made in the United States” and will go into effect on April 2. If the parts are made in the U.S., they would not be subject to tax, according to Trump.
“For the most part, I think it’s going to lead cars to be made in one location,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
The president made the case that the fresh tariff will incentivize car manufacturers to relocate their production to the U.S. and that it would lead to job growth in the long-term. In the short-term, the tariff could end up spiking car prices with manufacturers increasing costs to bring in parts for assembly.
Carney said over the last “several months,” Canadians “have gotten over the shock of the betrayal and are learning lessons. We have to look out for ourselves and we have to look out for each other and work together for each other.”
Trump has for some time forecasted the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on April 2 on any country that is currently imposing duties on goods coming from the U.S.
Carney stated on Wednesday that apart from Canada’s own retaliatory tariffs, the government has permitted companies to delay tax payments to give them enough wiggle room to effectively adjust to the escalating trade war.
“We've put in place a large facility for our largest companies, some of them which may be affected by this would be affected by this to draw liquidity in various forms so that they can take longer term decisions without undue pressure from short term unjustified actions,” Canada’s prime minister said.
Trump's new tariff on cars and trucks entering the U.S. market was applauded by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, a workers group that endorsed former Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
“The UAW and the working class in general couldn’t care less about party politics; working people expect leaders to work together to deliver results. The UAW has been clear: we will work with any politician, regardless of party, who is willing to reverse decades of working-class people going backwards in the most profitable times in our nation’s history,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement on Wednesday.
“These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country, and it is now on the automakers, from the Big Three to Volkswagen and beyond, to bring back good union jobs to the U.S.,” Fain added.