President Donald Trump of the United States has warned that existing tariffs on Canadian automobiles could be increased.
Trump said this on Wednesday from the Oval Office, signalling a further escalation in trade tensions just days before Canadians head to the polls.
“When I put tariffs on Canada – they’re paying 25 per cent – but that could go up, in terms of cars. All we’re doing is we’re saying we don’t want your cars, in all due respect. We want, really, to make our own cars,”; he said.
These were part of a broader speech laced with economic nationalism, where Trump again questioned Canada’s relevance without US trade support.
“Canada would cease to exist as a country if the United States stopped buying its goods,”; he added.
DAILY POST reports that at the heart of Trump’s announcement is the existing 25% tariff on vehicles imported from Canada.
Though some cars made under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are exempt, Trump left open the possibility of raising tariffs further, stating, “I really don’t want cars from Canada. So when I put tariffs on Canada, they’re paying 25%, but that could go up in terms of cars.”;
