NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the only way to deal with “bully” US President-elect Donald Trump and his looming tariff threat is to make him feel the “pain” of Canada’s retaliatory measures.
Singh specifically called on Canada to restrict exports of critical minerals to the United States.
“(Trump) is a bully, and bullies understand one thing: that is strength,” Singh told reporters in Parliament on Monday. “They also understand pain. So if you want to fight Canada, we have to make sure it’s clear that that’s going to hurt Americans, too.”
“Going to meet them and try to give them dinner and wine is a failed approach,” Singh added. “Donald Trump is not rational. You can’t discuss a plan over a meal with him.”
Critical minerals are used in the production of various modern technologies, including mobile phones, solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and some medical devices, to name a few.
Trump has threatened to impose blanket 25 percent tariffs on all Canadian imports as soon as he returns to the Oval Office.
Asked if Canada should also consider cutting oil exports to the United States, Singh said not yet.
“It escalates step by step,” he said. “That’s a tool that should be on the table, but it’s not something we start with.”
“I’m only proposing that we start with critical minerals, but we must consider all options, every response to tariffs that could seriously hurt Canadians must be met with in-kind tariffs,” he also said.
Smith and Ford weigh in
With a week to go until Trump returns to the White House, Canadian lawmakers at the provincial and federal levels, and from all parties, have been weighing in on the issue.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith visited Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, over the weekend. He later wrote in a social media post that he had “constructive dialogue” with both the incoming president and members of his administration.
“We’ve all seen that what irritates the United States the most is the trade deficits, which they think they have. I don’t think they have a trade deficit when the power is taken away from them,” Smith told reporters Monday.
“In fact, we buy more goods and services from the United States than they buy from us,” he added.
Smith says oil and gas will be “key to a breakthrough” once tariffs come in.
Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has previously threatened to cut off his province’s electricity to 1.5 million homes in three US states as a “last resort.” He later explained that his comments were about defending Canadian workers.
Ford has since unveiled an energy plan, called “Fortress Am-Can,” that would leverage existing nuclear infrastructure in Ontario to deliver more power south of the border. Ford is expected to continue presenting aspects of that plan.
The premiers will meet this week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in person to discuss the Canadian response. Next month, they plan to travel together to Washington, DC for a Federation Council mission.
In an interview on CTV’s quiz show, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly does not rule out the possibility of cutting off energy exports as a retaliatory measure. He told host Vassy Kapelos that “everything is on the table.” The interview aired on Sunday.
Canadian officials are also preparing a list of American products, ranging from steel to ceramics to Florida orange juice, that could be hit by countertaxes, sources confirmed to CTV News last week.
With files from CTV Calgary’s Michael Franklin
