Justin Trudeau

Address to the Sovereign Nations of Canada and the United States of America in Response to Ostensible U.S. Trade Tariffs Against Canada

delivered 1 February 2025

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from English language remarks in above video. See text note at page bottom for additional clarification on the French Canadian portion of the address.]

Bonne soirée. Good evening.

Today, the United States informed us they will be...imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, a decision that, should they elect to proceed with, should take effect on Tuesday, February 4th.

This decision threatens a historic economic relationship, one that has created so much wealth, prosperity and opportunity on both sides of the border.

Tonight, first, I want to speak directly to Americans, our closest friends and neighbors. This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.

As I have consistently said, tariffs again -- against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel, and aluminum. They will violate the free trade agreement that the President and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago.

But it doesn't have to be this way. As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, "Geography has made us neighbors, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies." That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy's time in Office and in the decades since. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours.

During the Iranian hostage crisis, those 444 days we worked around the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home. During the summer of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago, when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California, during the day the world stood still, September 11th, 2001, when we provided refuge [Operation Yellow Ribbon] to stranded passengers and planes, we were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American people.

Together, we've built the most successful economic, military, and security partnership the world has ever seen -- a relationship that has been the envy of the world. Yes, we've had our differences in the past, but we've always found a way to get past them.

As I've said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new "Golden Age" for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us. Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values, and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.

Let's take a moment to talk about our shared border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there's always more work to do. Less than one per cent of fentanyl, less than one per cent of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada. But hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the American President himself, we're taking action.

We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results, because we too are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States; a drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth; a drug whose traffickers must be punished. As neighbors, we must work collaboratively to fix this. Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart, instead of bringing us together.

Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the U.S. trade action with 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days' time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.

Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding with 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods as of Tuesday, followed by tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days’ time to allow Canadian companies to find alternatives.¹

Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far-reaching, and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing, and shoes. It will include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture, and sports equipment; and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more. And as part of our response, we are considering, with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy, procurement, and other partnerships.

We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world.

With all that said, I also want to speak directly to Canadians in this moment. I'm sure many of you are anxious, but I want you to know we are all in this together. The Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labor, Canadian civil society, Canada's premiers, and tens of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united. This is Team Canada at its best.

Earlier today, I spoke with the premiers of all our provinces and territories. We stand united. They all support our approach. We are also aligned on removing trade barriers between our provinces and territories and making it easier for consumers to choose Canadian products.

A few minutes ago, I spoke with Ms. Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, our other North American partner, which was also targeted by tariffs today. We are committed to working together to deal with these tariffs.

This is a threat that affects the whole country, and it was heartening to see so many of our leaders answer the call and commit to ensuring that no Canadian is left behind. Our government will be there for Canadians. We will be there for you. At the same time, I have something to ask of you. I’m asking you to stand together. Many of us will be affected by all this and will go through difficult times. I’m asking you to be there for each other, to be there for your friends, your neighbors, and your fellow Canadians. From coast to coast to coast, Canadians are very different. We speak different languages. We have different beliefs. We have different opinions, different ideas. But when we stand together, we draw strength from those differences.

And now is also the time to choose Canada. There are many ways for you to do your part. It might mean checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian-made products. It might mean opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky bourbon, or foregoing Florida orange juice altogether. It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites, and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.

Now is the time to choose Canadian-made products and to support Canadian businesses, to support our farmers, our manufacturers, our workers, our business owners, our artists.

It might mean doing all of these things or finding your own way to stand up for Canada.

In this moment, we must pull together because we love this country. We pride ourselves on braving the cold during the long winter months. We don't like to beat our chests, but we're always out there waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to celebrate an Olympic gold medal.

We have our own identity, our own history, and our own values. Canadians are welcoming, open, innovative, ambitious. We prefer to settle our disputes through diplomacy, but we are prepared to fight when we have to.

Canada is home to bountiful resources, breathtaking beauty, and a proud people who've come from every corner of the globe to forge a nation with a unique identity worth embracing and celebrating. We don't pretend to be perfect, but Canada is the best country on earth. There's nowhere else that I and our 41-million strong family would rather be, and we will get through this challenge, just as we've bun -- done countless times before -- together.

Thank you. Merci. Vive le Canada. [Long live Canada.]

¹ Of the five discrete utterances delivered in Canadian French, this is the only one that replicates in substance the preceding English utterance.

Original Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

Text Note: Text in colored italics delivered originally in the French Canadian language with English interpretation presented at: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/videos/2025/02/01/announcement-response-us-tariffs-canada

Page Updated: 2/21/25

U.S. Copyright Status: Text = Uncertain. Image of Flag = Public domain.