Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has won the race to become Canada’s new Prime Minister, succeeding Justin Trudeau at a crucial time for the nation.
The country is embroiled in a trade war with its long-time ally, the United States.
And the new man in town has wasted no time in hitting back at Donald Trump.
Quickly reversed his decision
The trade war between Canada and the United States began after President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico as part of his ”America First” agenda. On Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump quickly reversed his decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada to 50%, just hours after announcing the increase.
The sudden change, which caused chaos in financial markets, followed a Canadian official’s decision to back off plans for a 25% surcharge on electricity.
But the trade war is expected to continue, and no one knows exactly what will happen in the coming days. For U.S. citizens, this trade dispute could mean higher costs for everyday goods like groceries and gas.
On Truth Social, Trump once commented on the situation, stating, “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”
He has also suggested that the only way Canada could avoid the tariffs would be by becoming the 51st state of the United States. Trump criticized Canada, claiming it had failed to stop the flow of harmful drugs into the U.S.
“What I’d like to see: Canada become our 51st state. We give them protection, military protection. We don’t need them to build our cars,” Trump said Feb. 3 from the Oval Office. “If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they’d become a state. But a lot of people don’t like to play the game.”
“America is not Canada”
In response, both Canada and Mexico pledged to retaliate with similar tariffs on U.S. goods.
It’s no secret that Trump and Justin Trudeau haven’t always seen eye to eye, and it seems his successor shares a similar lack of admiration for the U.S. president.
During his victory speech on March 9, Mark Carney, the newly elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and Trudeau’s successor, pledged to prevail in the trade war with Trump.
He wasted no time in hitting back at Trump.
“There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy—Donald Trump,” he said. “Donald Trump has imposed unjustified tariffs on what we build, what we sell, and how we earn a living.”
In the powerful speech, he continued, “America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form. The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life. He’s attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses. We can’t let him succeed and we won’t.”
Carney also declared, ”Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves. So the Americans, they should make no mistake in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
Carney also expressed the gravity of the situation: “I know these are dark days. Dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust.”
He emphasized the importance of unity, saying, “We’re getting over the shock, but let us never forget the lessons: we have to look after ourselves and we have to look out for each other. We need to pull together in the tough days ahead.”
In the election, Carney triumphed in the first round, securing 85.9% of the vote within the Liberal Party and defeating his closest rival, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Carney, 59, a former central banker, has served as the governor of two G7 banks: the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
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