Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would never have signed a US-Canada trade deal, which left the possibility of 10% tariffs open. He vowed that a future Conservative government would “fight fire with fire” when dealing with President Donald Trump on trade.
In an interview with Global News on Saturday, Poilievre blasted Trudeau for leaving Canada with a weak economy while the incoming Trump administration promised a more economically competitive America globally.
The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA in 2020, is designed to allow tariff-free trade among North American countries. One clause of the agreement would allow up to 10% tariffs under certain circumstances, including issues over national security.
“We should be exempt from all these tariffs. I can’t believe that Trudeau signed a trade deal with Trump that leaves open the possibility of a 10% tariff,” Poilievre said. “I never would have agreed to that.”
He noted that Trudeau also signed a trade deal on softwood lumber which keeps US tariffs in place.
“Harper got those lifted in 90 days as Prime Minister Trudeau has had nine years and three presidents, and not only are the tariffs back in place, they’ve been doubled, killing forestry jobs right across British Columbia,” Poilievre said.
He vowed to end the softwood tariffs and gain exemption from the US “Buy America” program, which requires America’s federal agencies to prefer domestically produced materials and manufactured goods when using federal funds.
Poilievre said Trudeau’s policies have given half a trillion dollars of Canadian investments to America, and he would improve the economy and reverse the damage done.
“I’ll fight fire with fire. The Americans have taken a net half trillion dollars of our investment in the last nine years,” he said. “We were winning the investment war with the Americans before Trudeau, having more American dollars here than we had there.”
Poilievre said Trudeau’s NDP-Liberal government’s “rampant tax increases” have “pushed money out of our country,” leading to the average American worker making $22,000 more than Canadians.
As reported by True North, a recent Fraser Institute study noted the disparity as well. The study found that every Canadian province ranked lower in median per-person income than each of the 50 US states.
“I want our money back,” Poilievre said. “I will be axing the carbon tax, cutting income tax, cutting taxes on investment, to bring home those hundreds of billions of dollars and to bring home production and paychecks for our people.”
Despite the tough talk, Poilievre stated that he was committed to working with the Trump administration if elected as Prime Minister.
“We have no choice. It’s that we live next door to the biggest economic and military superpower the world has ever seen. Trump wants what’s best for American workers. I want what’s best for Canadian workers,” he said.
Poilievre vowed that Canada wouldn’t be “suckers anymore” under his leadership.
“Trump would love nothing more to keep than keep Trudeau in power because he can walk all over him, and he can take his money,” Poilievre said.
He said that if Trudeau’s plan to quadruple the carbon tax to 61 cents a litre comes to pass, Trump will easily convince Canadian businesses to move south of the border.
He said Trump would be on the phone urging companies to leave the “poverty, the hunger, the homeless encampments and food lines” behind and start a business in the US with its low taxes and no carbon tax.
“So that’s what you’re in store for with Justin Trudeau,” Poilievre said. “Trump wants our jobs. Trudeau wants to help him take them.”
The office of the Prime Minister did not respond to True North’s requests to comment.