Confused by what Trump is saying about tariffs? You’re not alone

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OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump once again warned on Wednesday that tariffs are coming for Canada.

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But which tariffs is he talking about, Canadians may be asking themselves. And when?

With the president’s ever-evolving set of threats and changing timelines coming from White House officials and members of his administration, the situation has left Canadians, as well as business and political leaders, confused.

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Many feel that what began as a threat of tariffs has become a harbinger of what to expect over the next four years. The reality sinking in is that Canadians should get used to treading water while Trump issues constant tariff warnings.

Here is a look at what we know so far, and the key dates to watch:

March 4

Trump set a date of March 4 for when 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports are set to take effect, except for the 10 per cent tariffs reserved for energy resources.

The timeline came out of an agreement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump struck about 48 hours after the president signed an executive order to implement the trade levies, which he first promised last November.

Trump announced the tariffs on Feb. 1, with the plan to implement them on Feb. 4. He and Trudeau reached their 30-day agreement on Feb. 3.

Canada initially announced plans to hit back with its own 25 per cent tariffs on $155-billion worth of American goods, but shelved those plans, citing the deal to delay.

Trump has justified wanting to slap tariffs on Mexico and Canada as a way to force both countries to clamp down on the fentanyl and numbers of migrants crossing into the U.S.

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Trudeau and other federal party leaders say what Trump is really after is Canada’s sovereignty, with Trudeau saying he has particular interest in the country’s supply of critical minerals. Trudeau and other officials say Canada is responsible for less than one per cent of the fentanyl and migrants crossing into the U.S., but have nonetheless announced a new border plan and appointed a special commissioner to tackle the illegal fentanyl trade, as a way to try to prevent descending into a trade war.

With March 4 fast approaching, Trump has vowed to forge ahead with his universal tariffs.

However, much like how last-minute negotiations delayed the implementation of these levies at the start of the month, a White House official clarified the Feb. 4 date is also subject to negotiations.

Heading into a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said there has been much speculation on what will happen, but that the Canadian government is working based on what it sees in Trump’s orders.

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Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc also declined to weigh in.

“We will refrain from commenting at this stage,” wrote spokesman Gabriel Brunet.

March 12

After focusing on universal tariffs for Canadian imports, Trump turned his attention to steel and aluminum, which were products he slapped tariffs on during his first term in office as Canada, the U.S. and Mexico were negotiating a new free trade agreement.

On Feb.10, he signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum entering the U.S., without any exception for Canada, one of its largest suppliers.

Trump’s rationale this time was to boost domestic production and bring jobs to the U.S.

As he announced his metal tariffs, Trump repeated his often used statement that Canada should become a U.S. state if it hopes to avoid any economic pain.

“We’ll have the jobs and that’s why Canada should be our 51st state,” Trump said at the time. 

These tariffs are set to take effect on March 12.

Canadian ministers have decried Trump’s move as unjustifiable and warned the U.S. should expect Canada, which has been consulting its allies, to hit back.

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April 2 

Trump has warned that countries that hit back with their own tariffs on U.S. imports could face even stiffer levies.

April 2 is the date Trump says the U.S. would implement “reciprocal tariffs,” according to an executive order he signed. 

He also threatened to slap tariffs on other imports that month, including automobiles.

As well, Trump ordered a report due on April 1 that looks at the U.S.’s trade deficits, which may, yes, open the door to even more tariffs.

— With additional reporting from The Canadian Press

National Post

staylor@postmedia.com

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