MONTREAL — Quebec Premier François Legault was scheduled to hold a special meeting of his cabinet on Tuesday before announcing his province’s response to the start of the trade war with the United States.
Legault has said his government will launch a fund to give short-term financing to Quebec companies vulnerable to the tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on Canadian goods earlier in the day.
The premier has also called on companies looking to expand to apply for funding with the province’s investment arm — Investissement Québec.
Trump’s executive order hitting Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET.
Legault has said up to 160,000 jobs in Quebec could be lost if 25 per cent tariffs are maintained across the economy.
A recent study by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce says the Quebec cities most at risk from tariffs are Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, and Drummondville.
Legault is scheduled to announce his government’s response to U.S. tariffs at 1 p.m. in Montreal.
Meanwhile, the mayors of Quebec’s three largest cities are hoping to impress upon American leaders during a trip to Washington this week that the tariff war will have repercussions for both Canada and the United States.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand and Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer will be participating in a meeting to mark Great Lakes Day, which will include around 30 mayors of Canadian and American cities located near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
“The citizens of both countries will suffer the consequences of this economic war and it is our duty, as a city, to do everything in our power to preserve as many links as possible with our allies,” Plante said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2025.
The Canadian Press
