OTTAWA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Tuesday morning that Canada will push back if U.S. President Donald Trump wields tariffs against Canada.
Trudeau said in a news briefing that he's open to matching the tariffs on the Canadian side, dollar-for-dollar, but that all options are still on the table.
"We will stay steady. Our focus is remaining calm, remaining strong," said the prime minister following a cabinet retreat meeting in Quebec, where he and other government officials met on Trump's inauguration day to discuss the tariffs and how to defend Canadian interests.
Donald Trump hinted on Monday after inauguration that he might impose import tariffs against Canada on Feb. 1.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday night that there was nothing new that was different from a week ago.
"We have spent the last number of weeks preparing potential response scenarios for the Government of Canada in partnership with provinces and Canadian business leaders and union leaders," LeBlanc said. "So our country is absolutely ready to respond to any one of these scenarios."
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly again called on every single political leader across the board and across the country to stand united.
According to local media, Trudeau would announce a rapid consultation period, possibly two weeks, on a first round of tariffs that would cover approximately 37 billion Canadian dollars (26 billion U.S. dollars) of U.S. imports, with implementation to follow immediately after.
Depending on how hefty initial U.S. tariffs on Canada are, Trudeau may also announce consultations on tariffs covering another 110 billion Canadian dollars (76 billion U.S. dollars) or so of American goods. .
