U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a warning that existing tariffs on Canadian automobiles could be raised, suggesting a potential intensification of trade tensions between the two countries.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump’s remarks come at a sensitive time—just days before Canadians are set to vote in national elections.
“When I put tariffs on Canada – they’re paying 25 per cent – but that could go up, in terms of cars. All we’re doing is we’re saying we don’t want your cars, in all due respect. We want, really, to make our own cars,” he said.
In his broader speech, which was heavily focused on economic nationalism, Trump reiterated his concerns about Canada’s reliance on U.S. trade support, once again questioning the country’s relevance without it.
“Canada would cease to exist as a country if the United States stopped buying its goods,” he added.
Trump’s announcement centers around the current 25% tariff on vehicles imported from Canada.
While some cars produced under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are exempt, Trump left the door open for potentially increasing the tariffs, saying, “I really don’t want cars from Canada. So when I put tariffs on Canada, they’re paying 25%, but that could go up in terms of cars.”
