Canadian Premiers to hold urgent meeting to discuss Trump's tariffs

Premiers across Canada have called for an urgent meeting to discuss U.S.-Canada relations after President-elect Donald Trump's promise of tariffs Monday.

The upcoming meeting comes on the heels of an emergency debate held Tuesday night, but will also heavily focus on what the tariffs means for Canada as a whole.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland highlighted the importance of trade between the two countries.

"The fact is we need them and they also need us. Canada is the largest market for the U.S. in the world, larger than China, Japan, the UK and France combined," Freeland said.

"It is also the case that the thing we sell to the United States are the things they really need."

Trump posted on Truth Social Monday night saying, "thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before."

The president elect has threatened to introduce a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico on his first day as president.

Some experts say this may be a negotiation tactic to see change at the border but economists say this would dramatically drive up costs.

Politicians have expressed concerns with the tariff threat including Ontario Premier Doug Ford calling Trump's comments "insulting."

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh posted on X that the proposed tariffs will hurt Canadian workers.

While Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says that Trudeau should have been better prepared.

"We need a plan, a plan to put Canada first in the economy and in security," Poilievre said.

Trump's 25 per cent tariff would push up the cost of Canadian products sold in the U.S. including oil, gas, automobiles and lumber. The exports are worth $600 billion a year to Canada.