As US President Donald Trump’s trade war unfolds, Canada is asking for “the greatest pressure” on his administration by imposing a counterargument, its foreign minister said.
“We need to protect ourselves, and we are not only leading the charges, but we are at this point the country is the most rebellious tariff on US goods,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie said. EuroNews In an exclusive interview.
On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country coincided with Trump’s 25% tariffs on foreign cars with the collection of US-made vehicles imported into Canada.
The move applies to imports worth $35.6 billion (22.9 billion euros), according to the Canadian government. The new measures add to previous retaliatory tariffs Ottawa imposed on approximately 60 billion (38.2 billion euros) worth of US imports.
In her interview, Jolie said: “We are working with the EU and we are working with our Asian partners, and we continue to put maximum pressure on them (in the Trump administration).”
Reiterating Canada remains the largest trading partner in the United States, Jolie spoke of her confidence that Americans are opposed to the actions of the Trump administration. She believes they will play an important role in solving the trade war.
“The only way President Trump can put back his trade war down is for the Americans to himself to say, ‘That’s enough.’ And they can create political pressure within their own system to make sure it is true,” she said.
The Canadian Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of a unified NATO, highlighting that geopolitical instability could exacerbate global tensions. She warned that enemies such as China and Russia could benefit from any division between NATO allies.
“We need to make sure we’re fighting in a trade war, perhaps for our own interests, or we have a unified NATO,” Jolie said.
“In the end, because who gets from all this, the erosion of the international system, or some tension between allies, is our enemy. It’s China and Russia,” she added.
“So, as a diplomat, I will continue to engage as many countries as possible and as many countries as possible to maintain as safe and secure spaces as possible.”
