Canadian Prime Minister Carney Warns: Retaliatory Measures Will Be Taken Against U.S. Steel and Aluminum Tariffs If No Agreement Is Reached

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that Canada would hold off on further retaliatory measures against the US over increased steel and aluminum tariffs as negotiators from the two countries are currently discussing a new bilateral economic and security agreement.

He also said that Canada was prepared to strike back at the US if negotiations with the US to remove Trump's tariffs were unsuccessful.

US President Trump officially signed an executive order on Tuesday to double steel and aluminum import tariffs to 50%. Canada is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the US.

Carney told reporters on Wednesday that the US's doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs was illegal and unreasonable, adding that Canada had already imposed 25% tariffs on approximately $43.7 billion worth of US imports.

He said that Canada would take its time before deciding on its next move, "as we are currently engaged in in-depth discussions with the US."

He also said that discussions between the two sides were "making progress," noting that "the US's actions are global. They are not aimed at Canada, so we need some time."

Later, during the daily question period in Parliament, Carney said that Canadian officials were prepared to take retaliatory measures against US imports if negotiations failed to reach a new agreement.

"We are engaged in intensive negotiations with the US, and at the same time, we are prepared to take retaliatory measures if negotiations are unsuccessful," Carney said.

As Carney made these remarks, he was facing pressure from various quarters in Canada to retaliate against the US's tariff increases.

Canadian labor union Unifor called for retaliatory tariffs against the US, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Carney not to "stand by and let President Trump crush us."

He told reporters at the provincial legislature building on Wednesday that Trump was "trying to shut down our steel industry and move jobs to the US. He doesn't care about jobs in Ontario at all. We must impose an additional 25% tariff on US-made steel and aluminum products entering Canada."