July 11, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
In a move that has reignited tensions across the U.S.-Canada border, former President Donald J. Trump issued a fiery warning late Thursday, declaring that if elected in November, he will impose a sweeping 35% tariff on Canadian imports beginning August 1, 2025. The statement, delivered during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, marks Trump’s most aggressive stance yet in his renewed campaign to reshape American trade policy.
“If Canada wants to keep taking advantage of our farmers, our workers, and our steel, they’re going to pay for it—starting August 1st. Thirty-five percent tariff. Period,” Trump declared to a roaring crowd. “We love Canada, but we’re not going to be their piggy bank anymore.”
The announcement, though not backed by current federal action, has already sent shockwaves through the markets and rattled officials in Ottawa, who are bracing for potential economic fallout. Canada remains the United States’ second-largest trading partner, with over $800 billion in goods and services exchanged annually. Key sectors potentially impacted include automotive, lumber, dairy, and manufactured steel—industries Trump has long targeted in his populist push for “America First” economics.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded swiftly, calling the threat “reckless and deeply damaging to both economies,” and warned that Canada would retaliate with its own set of tariffs if such a policy is enacted.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Trudeau said in a press briefing from Parliament Hill. “Canada will always stand up for its workers and industries, and we will respond proportionately if forced to.”
The threat echoes the 2018 trade standoff during Trump’s first term, when the U.S. levied tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel, prompting retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods like whiskey, ketchup, and motorcycles. Those measures led to months of negotiations before a revised version of NAFTA—the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—was signed in 2020.
This time, however, Trump’s ultimatum carries a sharper edge, given the volatility of the global economy and rising pressure on supply chains still recovering from post-pandemic disruptions. Critics fear such a dramatic policy could lead to job losses on both sides of the border and trigger price hikes for American consumers.
Business leaders are already sounding the alarm. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a statement urging “measured dialogue over damaging trade war rhetoric,” while Canadian industry groups are calling for emergency meetings to assess the potential impact.
Despite the backlash, Trump doubled down during a Friday morning interview on Newsmax, claiming the move would “level the playing field” and “bring jobs back home where they belong.”
With the 2024 election just months away, Trump’s tariff talk adds another layer of uncertainty to an already turbulent political landscape. Whether the threat becomes policy—or remains a campaign flashpoint—may hinge on the outcome in November.
For now, Canadian exporters are holding their breath. August 1 is only weeks away.
Media Contact:
Lisa Hargrove
Press Secretary – Trump 2024
Email: media@trump2024.com
Phone: (202) 555-0191
For Canadian inquiries:
Office of the Prime Minister – Media Relations
Email: pm-media@pmo.gc.ca
Phone: (613) 555-0101
