If Washington's announced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada come into effect next month, Ottawa will take a "clear and firm" response, "if necessary", said outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, writes BTA.
"We will work with the US administration (of the president) in the coming weeks to highlight the negative impacts of these unacceptable tariffs on the citizens of both countries," Trudeau said in Paris, where he is participating in the international conference dedicated to artificial intelligence.
"We will also work with our international partners and friends. And if necessary, our response will of course be clear and firm," he warned.
If the tariffs imposed last night on steel and aluminum imports into the United States come into effect, they will be economically counterproductive because "our economies are interconnected," the outgoing Canadian prime minister stressed.
"Canadian steel and aluminum are used in a number of key industries in the United States, including defense, shipbuilding, industrial manufacturing, energy and automotive," he added.
As part of the trade war that Donald Trump has waged since his re-election as US president, he signed an executive order last night imposing additional tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, which are set to take effect on March 12, AFP added.