Canadian officials are narrowing down a list of U.S. products to target in case the federal government must respond to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, CTV News has confirmed.
As first reported by CBC News, there is a document circulating among senior Canadian government officials that lists American-made products that could be hit by retaliatory taxes.
Sources say American steel and ceramic products, including toilets and sinks, as well as Florida orange juice, are on the list of targeted items.
A senior government source told CTV News the list represents a small number of items that could be on a final list of products subject to counter-tariffs.
“No decision has been made about whether to retaliate or what would be on that final list,” a background source said.
Incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods imported into the United States if Canada does not take action to address the flow of illegal drugs and migrants across the shared border.
In response to the threat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Trump and members of his incoming administration at Mar-a-Lago in late November to discuss that threat. Since then, Canadian officials have received no assurances that the tariffs can be avoided.
Trump has also attacked Canada, threatening to annex the country and make it the 51st state. On Tuesday, Trump went further during a wide-ranging press conference in which he claimed that the United States could absorb Canada using “economic force.” .
Blocking exports of Canadian oil, electricity and critical minerals is another option on the table, according to a senior government source in Washington, DC.
Last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off his province’s energy exports if Trump followed through on his threat. He later clarified that he wants to export more energy south of the border, but his comments were about defending Canadian workers.
In an interview with Vassy Kapelos on CTV’s Power Play program on Wednesday, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson did not explicitly rule out imposing a tax on Canadian energy exports to the US.
“That list will certainly focus on seeking to extract the most pain in the United States to ensure that pressure is put on President Trump to remove them (the tariffs),” Wilkinson said.
Still, Wilkinson says there is still a way for Canada to avoid being hit by economically devastating tariffs.
“I think there are ways to have conversations with the Trump administration, with senators, with American businesses, about ways that we can help them with the agenda that he articulated during his campaign, which includes reducing dependence on China for things. as critical minerals,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson will visit Washington next week to speak with US officials.
With files from CTV News Chief Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos and Stephanie Ha
