- By Nidhi Giri
- Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:30 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday (local time) said that the current US President posed the biggest risk to the country’s economy as the tariff war initiated by Donald Trump continues to have its ripple effect. Mark Carney’s remarks came during a debate that saw him face-to-face with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, left-wing New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and Quebec separatist Bloc Quebecois head Yves-Francois Blanchet ahead of the voting for the new Prime Minister on April 28.
Carney stressed on the cooperation among Canadian provinces to stand strong against the US trade war. During the debate, Jagmeet Singh said that there was a need for a strategic response to the tariffs.
Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on various countries were rolled out on April 2, however, within days, he announced a 90-day pause on them after markets crashed across the globe. Trump then said that several countries were willing to negotiate a trade deal to avoid the reciprocal tariffs.
As far as the trade war is concerned, Carney has maintained that Canada's reciprocal tariffs on more than C$60 billion worth of US imports will remain in place until Washington removes its import duties. Carney, who says there is a limit to how far Canada can go in imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs, has promised Canada will thrash out a new economic and security relationship with the US after the election.
Poilievre-led Conservatives are proposing a deal in which Canada and the US simultaneously drop their tariffs and counter-tariffs.
Mark Carney is running to retain his Prime Ministership after he replaced Justin Trudeau on March 14. On the face of Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state of the US and the ongoing trade war, the campaign of the leaders focuses largely on how they would stand up to Trump’s demands. In March Carney had strongly put forth his position on the US, declaring that he would never allow Ottawa to be “part of America in any way."