Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has responded to U.S. tariffs on Canadian items.
Trudeau spoke to media Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an govt order imposing the tariffs.
Trump stated in an announcement that he has applied a 25 per cent tariff on imports from each Canada and Mexico, which drops to 10 per cent on Canadian vitality, in addition to a further 10 per cent tariff on imports from China.
Canada has been informed the tariffs will go into impact on Tuesday.
Right here’s the English transcript of Trudeau’s full speech.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Good night. In the present day, america knowledgeable us they are going to be imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to america and 10 per cent on Canadian vitality, a call that, ought to they elect to proceed with, ought to take impact on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
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[IN FRENCH]
Tonight, first I wish to converse on to People. Our closest mates and neighbors. This can be a selection that, sure, will hurt Canadians. However past that, it would have actual penalties for you, the American folks.
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As I’ve constantly stated, tariffs in opposition to Canada will put your jobs in danger, probably shutting down American auto meeting crops and different manufacturing services.
They’ll increase prices for you, together with meals on the grocery shops and gasoline on the pump.
They’ll impede your entry to an inexpensive provide of important items essential for U.S. safety, akin to nickel, potash, uranium, metal and aluminum.
They’ll violate the free commerce settlement that the president and I, together with our Mexican associate, negotiated and signed a couple of years in the past. However it doesn’t must be this manner.
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As President John F. Kennedy stated a few years in the past, geography has made us neighbors. Historical past has made us mates, economics has made us companions and necessity has made us allies.
That rang true for a lot of many years previous to President Kennedy’s time in workplace, and within the many years since, from the seashores of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, now we have fought and died alongside you throughout your darkest hours through the Iranian hostage disaster. These 444 days, we labored across the clock from our embassy to get your harmless compatriots residence.
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Throughout the summer time of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your nice metropolis of New Orleans, or mere weeks in the past after we despatched water bombers to deal with the wildfires in California. Throughout the day, the world stood nonetheless, Sept. 11, 2001, after we supplied refuge to stranded passengers and planes. We have been all the time there, standing with you, grieving with you. The American folks.
Collectively, we’ve constructed essentially the most profitable financial, navy and safety partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world.
Sure, we’ve had our variations prior to now, however we’ve all the time discovered a solution to get previous them. As I’ve stated earlier than, if President Trump desires to usher in a brand new golden age for america, the higher path is to associate with Canada, to not punish us.
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Canada has important minerals, dependable and inexpensive vitality, secure democratic establishments, shared values and the pure assets you want. Canada has the substances obligatory to construct a booming and safe partnership for the North American financial system, and we stand on the able to work collectively.
Let’s take a second to speak about our shared border. Our border is already protected and safe, however there’s all the time, all the time extra work to do. Lower than one per cent of fentanyl, lower than one per cent of unlawful crossings into america come from Canada.
However listening to considerations from each Canadians and People, together with the American president himself, we’re taking motion. We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that’s already displaying outcomes, as a result of we, too, are devastated by the scourge that’s fentanyl, a drug that has torn aside communities and precipitated a lot ache and torment for numerous households throughout Canada, identical to in america.
A drug that we too wish to see wiped from the face of this earth. A drug whose traffickers should be punished as neighbors, we should work collaboratively to repair this.
Sadly, the actions taken at this time by the White Home break up us aside as a substitute of bringing us collectively.
Tonight, I’m asserting Canada shall be responding to the U.S. commerce motion with 25 per cent tariffs in opposition to a $155 billion price of American items. This can embody speedy tariffs on $30 billion price of products as of Tuesday, adopted by additional tariffs on $125 billion price of American merchandise in 21 days time to permit Canadian corporations and provide chains to hunt to search out alternate options.
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[IN FRENCH]
Just like the American tariffs, our response may also be far reaching and embody on a regular basis gadgets akin to American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, together with orange juice, together with greens, fragrance, clothes and footwear.
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It’ll embody main shopper merchandise like family home equipment, furnishings and sports activities gear, and supplies like lumber and plastics, together with a lot, far more.
And as a part of our response, we’re contemplating with the provinces and territories, a number of non-tariff measures, together with some regarding important minerals, vitality procurement and different partnerships.
We are going to stand robust for Canada. We are going to stand robust to make sure our international locations proceed to be the perfect neighbors on the planet.
With all that stated, I additionally wish to converse on to Canadians on this second.
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I’m positive a lot of you might be anxious, however I need you to know we’re all on this collectively. The Canadian authorities, Canadian companies, Canadian organized labor, Canadian civil society, Canada’s premiers, and tens of thousands and thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united.
That is Group Canada at its greatest.
Geopolitically, Prime Minister, the twelfth on the distinctive is 30 day is a rush solely to see a linear storm.
[IN FRENCH]
And now can be the time to decide on Canada.
[IN FRENCH]
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It’d imply doing all of these items or discovering your personal solution to get up for Canada. On this second, we should pull collectively as a result of we love this nation. We delight ourselves on braving the chilly through the lengthy winter months. We don’t wish to beat our chests, however we’re all the time on the market waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to have fun an Olympic gold medal.
[IN FRENCH]
Canada is residence to bountiful assets, breathtaking magnificence, and a proud individuals who’ve come from each nook of the globe to forge a nation with a singular identification price embracing and celebrating. We don’t faux to be good, however Canada is the perfect nation on earth.
There’s nowhere else that I, in our 41 million robust household, would relatively be.
And we are going to get by way of this problem simply as we’ve achieved numerous instances earlier than collectively.
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Thanks. Merci. Vive le Canada!