Customs rights | Ottawa and Quebec intend to protect jobs in the affected sectors

While the new price salvo by American president Donald Trump has entered into force, Ottawa and Quebec assure that they will act to protect the jobs at risk in the sectors affected by customs duties.

The customs duties imposed by the United States on Canadian products that are not covered by the Canada-St.-Mexico (ACEUM) agreement was raised to 35 % on Friday, since Washington and Ottawa failed to conclude from a commercial pact before the deadline set by Mr. Trump.

In a statement published on the midnight on Friday, Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that the federal government is “disappointed with this measure”.

However, he tried to put the real impact of these new customs rights into perspective, recalling that, “thanks to ACEUM, the average tariff rate applied by the United States to Canadian products remains one of the lowest among all its business partners”.

Despite this observation, the Prime Minister has recognized that certain sectors of the Canadian economy, including timber, steel, aluminum and cars, are “strongly affected by American customs duties”.

For these sectors, the federal government “will take measures to protect Canadian jobs,” he said.

“Canadians and Canadians will be our best customers and help create more well -paid jobs in the country as we strengthen and diversify our business partnerships around the world,” said the Prime Minister.

“By collaborating with Canadian workers and using our country’s resources for the benefit of all Canadian and Canadian, we can give ourselves more than any foreign government can never take us. »»

For his part, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, conceded that customs duties “are damaging for our workers and our businesses”, adding that they “also harm American citizens who need our products and our resources”.

“The latest events highlight the importance that we must devote to diversify our markets and increase our economic autonomy. We will support our workers and companies, ”he said in a message published on social networks.

Legault said Quebec remains in contact with the federal government and the other provinces for the rest of things.

He believes that it is necessary to continue discussions with the American administration, but affirms that, in all cases, his government will “defend the interests of Quebecers”.

Again the fentanyl argument

When justifying the imposition of new customs duties on Canadian products on Thursday, President Trump once again used his argument concerning the fight against fentanyl.

In the opinion of the American administration, Canada “did not cooperate to stem the continuous influx of fentanyl” and failed to “do more to stop, grasp, hold or intercept in any other way […] Traffickers, fleeing criminals and illicit drugs. ”

Prime Minister Carney replied to this argument by noting that “only 1 % of American imports from fentanyl come from Canada”.

He also recalled that Ottawa has invested “unprecedented” sums in border security in order to “stop drug traffickers, dismantle transnational gangs and end migrant traffic”.

“We will continue to collaborate with the United States in order to end the scourge of fentanyl and save lives in our two countries,” he promised.

A survey published this week by the Canadian press this week confirmed that it is Canada that has a drug problem from the United States, not vice versa.

During the first four months of 2024, American customs officials seized “less than 700 grams” of fentanyl on the Canadian border, according to their statistics.

However, at the other American borders (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Maritimes and Airports), they seized just over two metric and a half tonnes, or 2540 kilos.

Fentanyl from Canada then represented 1.57 % of the total entrances entered on both sides of the border.

Build a “strong Canada”

In his declaration, Mark Carney said that trade negotiations with the United States are continuing, but that his government is focused more on what it can control.

“The federal government, the provinces and the territories work together to reduce obstacles to trade in order to build a single Canadian economy,” he reiterated.

He also mentioned the “major projects of national interest” on which his government intends to bet to breathe breathe with the Canadian economy.

“Together, these initiatives could generate new investments of more than $ 500 billion in Canada,” argued the Prime Minister.

Thursday, President Trump also said that Canada’s desire to recognize the Palestinian state “would make it very difficult” for the United States to conclude a trade agreement with their neighbor in the North. Mr. Carney did not respond to this assertion in his declaration.

With information from Pierre Saint-Arnaud and the Associated Press