Donald Trump’s call for NATO countries — including Canada — to impose tariffs of 50 to 100 per cent on China to pressure Moscow is creating a new diplomatic dilemma for Ottawa. The U.S. president’s message, posted on Truth Social, urged NATO allies to stop buying Russian oil and hit China with massive tariffs until the war in Ukraine ends, arguing such measures would “break” Beijing’s grip on Moscow.
Canada’s Finance Ministry responded cautiously, emphasizing that the G7 remains committed to ramping up pressure on Russia, including through the use of frozen Russian assets. Officials promised further measures “in the weeks ahead” but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s tariff plan.
Ottawa’s position is complicated by its own trade war with Beijing. Canada has already slapped a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, along with 25 per cent duties on Chinese steel and aluminum imports. China retaliated by imposing steep tariffs on Canadian canola — a move that has hurt Prairie farmers. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently said talks with Chinese officials on canola imports were “constructive,” but the tariffs remain at a punishing 75.8 per cent.
Public opinion is shifting. A Nanos Research poll shows 36 per cent of Canadians now favour boosting trade with China, up from just 5 per cent during the tense “two Michaels” and Huawei era, with Prairie respondents most in favour due to the impact on agriculture.
But Trump’s latest demand has raised alarms among Canadian foreign policy experts. “Canada doesn’t have a say,” warned Christian Leuprecht, a professor at Royal Military College and Queen’s University, adding that Canada is being forced to “react” rather than shape events. Trump’s letter, he said, is effectively telling Europe — and Canada — to “pick a side” if they want Washington’s support in Ukraine.
With the EU already phasing out Russian oil and gas by 2028 — and considering Canadian energy as a replacement — Ottawa must now decide whether to fall in line with Trump’s strategy or risk deepening trade friction with its largest ally while still navigating its own rocky relationship with China.
Would you like me to make the headline more dramatic — for example, “Caught in the Crossfire: Trump’s Tariff Threats Leave Canada Cornered Between China and NATO” — to grab more attention?