President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Evan Vucci
WASHINGTON – United States president-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on his plans to impose tariffs on Canada in his first news conference since the certification of his election win.
Trump says he will be putting substantial tariffs against Canada and Mexico when he returns to the White House in less than two weeks.
The president-elect has previously said he’ll put 25 per cent duties on America’s closest neighbours unless they can stop the flow of illegal drugs across the border.
In November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to try and tamp down Trump’s tariff threats.
Canada subsequently announced a series of measures to beef up the border with a $1.3-billion package but Trump indicated he intends to proceed with his duties plan.
In wide-ranging remarks at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect also criticized Canada’s military funding, made claims that Canada is subsidized by the U.S. and said he told hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to run for prime minister.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.