Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland via CPAC.
The Trudeau government is responding to the threat of a tariff on aluminum by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump said he would implement the tariffs at a re-election campaign event this week.
Now, the Canadian government will look to implement $3.6 billion in retaliatory tariffs to offset the cost.
Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke at a news conference Friday to express her frustration with the U.S. government’s decision.
“These tariffs are unnecessary, unwarranted, and entirely unacceptable. They should not be imposed.”
She said it’s ‘ludicrous’ to suggest the Canadian aluminum industry is a threat to American national security.
Freeland says it’s a terrible time to raise the issue during a global pandemic.
“A trade dispute is the last thing anyone needs, it will only hurt the economic recovery on both sides of the border,” said Freeland.
She believes the aluminum trade between the two countries had been mutually beneficial.
“It makes our inter-connected North American aluminum industry more competitive around the world.”
