The Blubber

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed on Tuesday that Canada would strike back forcefully after U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a North American trade war by imposing sweeping 25% tariffs on nearly all Canadian goods.

Speaking at a news conference on Parliament Hill, Trudeau accused Trump of attempting to engineer "a total collapse of the Canadian economy" in order to make annexation easier.

"But that will never happen," Trudeau said. "When it comes to defending our great nation, there is no price we aren't willing to pay."

He called the U.S. tariffs "completely bogus and completely unjustified," warning they could severely damage bilateral relations, lead to job losses, drive inflation higher, and create economic turmoil on both sides of the border.

Canada's Response

Trudeau has already imposed tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods and pledged an additional $125 billion in countermeasures within three weeks if the U.S. does not reverse course. He also signaled that further non-tariff actions could follow.

Calling Trump’s move “very dumb,” Trudeau said it would directly harm American workers and consumers, driving up prices on essential goods like food, auto parts, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and paper products.

"Your government has chosen to do this to you," Trudeau said, addressing the American people. "A fight with Canada will have no winners."

He also dismissed Trump’s claim that the tariffs were about stemming the flow of fentanyl, calling it "nonsense." Trudeau said it was now clear that even Canada’s recent border crackdown had never been a real factor in avoiding these tariffs.

Trudeau on U.S.-Russia Relations

Trudeau warned that Trump's actions could destroy what has been one of the world’s most successful alliances, while at the same time drawing the U.S. closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest ally, their closest friend, while at the same time talking about working positively with Russia," Trudeau said. "Make that make sense."

Provinces Preparing Their Own Countermeasures

Canada’s provincial leaders are also ramping up their responses. Measures being considered include:

• Removing American liquor from store shelves.
• Raising road tolls for U.S. commercial drivers.
• Barring U.S. companies from bidding on government contracts.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed Trudeau’s assertion that Trump is attempting to trigger an economic collapse in Canada.

Like Trudeau, Ford said he was ready to "fight like we've never fought before."

Ford suggested even harsher retaliatory steps, including a potential export charge on every megawatt of power Ontario sells to the U.S. He also hinted that, if necessary, Ontario could cut off electricity exports entirely—plunging about 1.5 million American customers into darkness.

In an interview with CNN, Ford said Canadians were "absolutely livid" and rallying behind a growing movement to boycott American goods. He vowed that his government would use "every tool in the toolbox" to respond to "the one man" responsible for damaging what was once the strongest bilateral relationship in the world.

Pointing to plummeting U.S. stock markets, Ford said he hoped Trump would reconsider before "the market goes downhill faster than the American bobsled team."