00:00Good evening. Today, the United States informed us they will be imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian
00:09exports to the United States and 10% on Canadian energy. A decision that, should they elect
00:16to proceed with, should take effect on Tuesday, February 4th.
00:22Tonight, first, I want to speak directly to Americans, our closest friends and neighbours.
00:30This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences
00:38for you, the American people. As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your
00:47jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing
00:54facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas
01:01at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial
01:08for U.S. security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel, and aluminum. They will violate
01:18the free trade agreement that the President and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated
01:24and signed a few years ago. But it doesn't have to be this way. As President
01:32John F. Kennedy said many years ago, geography has made us neighbours, history has made us
01:39friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. That rang true
01:50for many decades prior to President Kennedy's time in office, and in the decades since.
01:58From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of
02:04Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you.
02:13During your darkest hours, during the Iranian hostage crisis, those 444 days we worked around
02:21the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home. During the summer of 2005,
02:28when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago, when
02:35we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California. During the day the world stood
02:44still, September 11th, 2001, when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes.
02:54We were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American people.
03:04Together, we've built the most successful economic, military, and security partnership
03:11the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world. Yes, we've
03:19had our differences in the past, but we've always found a way to get past them.
03:26As I've said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United
03:33States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us. Canada has critical
03:43minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values,
03:51and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming
03:59and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work
04:05together. Let's take a moment to talk about our shared
04:10border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there's always more work to do. Less than
04:201% of fentanyl, less than 1% of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada.
04:29But hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the American President
04:34himself, we're taking action. We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already
04:43showing results. Because we, too, are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl. A drug that
04:52has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across
04:58Canada just like in the United States. A drug that we, too, want to see wiped from
05:05the face of this earth. A drug whose traffickers must be punished. As neighbours, we must work
05:14collaboratively to fix this. Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House
05:23split us apart instead of bringing us together. Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding
05:33to the U.S. trade action with 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods.
05:45This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed
05:52by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days' time to allow
06:00Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.
06:07Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far-reaching and include everyday
06:13items such as American beer, wine, and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange
06:20juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing, and shoes. It'll include major consumer products
06:28like household appliances, furniture, and sports equipment, and materials like lumber
06:34and plastics, along with much, much more. And as part of our response, we are considering,
06:43with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures, including some relating
06:49to critical minerals, energy, procurement, and other partnerships. We will stand strong
06:56for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbours
07:04in the world. With all that said, I also want to speak directly
07:11to Canadians in this moment. I'm sure many of you are anxious, but I want
07:18you to know we are all in this together. The Canadian government, Canadian businesses,
07:26Canadian organized labour, Canadian civil society, Canada's premiers, and tens of millions
07:33of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united. This is Team Canada
07:41at its best. And now is also the time to choose Canada.
07:51There are many ways for you to do your part. It might mean checking the labels at the supermarket
07:56and picking Canadian-made products. It might mean opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky
08:03bourbon or forgoing Florida orange juice altogether. It might mean changing your summer vacation
08:10plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical
08:17sites, and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.
08:21It's time to choose products from here and support businesses from here. Support our
08:29agricultural producers, our manufacturers, our workers, our entrepreneurs, our artists.
08:36It might mean doing all of these things or finding your own way to stand up for Canada.
08:45In this moment, we must pull together because we love this country. We pride ourselves on
08:53braving the cold during the long winter months. We don't like to beat our chests, but we're
08:59always out there waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to celebrate an Olympic gold medal.
09:06Canada is home to bountiful resources, breathtaking beauty, and a proud people who've come from
09:15every corner of the globe to forge a nation with a unique identity worth embracing and
09:21celebrating. We don't pretend to be perfect, but Canada
09:27is the best country on earth. There's nowhere else that I and our 41 million strong family
09:35would rather be. And we will get through this challenge, just as we've done countless times
09:43before, together. Thank you. Merci. Vive le Canada.
09:50Don't miss out. Log on to OneIndia.com for more updates.
Comments