Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Canada to fire back at the U.S. with 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, matching President Donald Trump’s latest salvo in an escalating trade war. Trump’s doubling down—announcing Tuesday he’ll hike tariffs on Canadian metals from 25% to 50% starting Wednesday—comes as payback for Ontario’s 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S.
“Time to fight fire with fire,” Poilievre declared, urging a tit-for-tat response to protect Canadian industries. Trump’s initial pledge was a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, but Ontario’s power play pushed him to crank it up, intensifying the cross-border showdown.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh took a different tack, pitching a “buy Canadian” fix: use homegrown steel and aluminum for public projects to bolster local jobs. Meanwhile, Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May upped the ante, pressing prime minister-designate Mark Carney to form a “wartime” cabinet laser-focused on Trump’s tariffs and annexation jabs. With a federal election looming, May wants all parties in the ring, projecting unity against the U.S. threat.
As the tariff clock ticks, Canada’s political heavyweights are scrambling to counter Trump’s aggressive trade gambit—each with their own spin on how to swing back.