Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to "fight back" against US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which he warned would "fundamentally change the world trading system", AFP reported.
Trump's unveiling of 10-per-cent tariffs on imports from around the world and harsh additional levies on key trading partners sparked global anger, but for Canada the impact of the latest announcement was limited.
Previously announced U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum remain in place. Canada could also be hit hard by Trump's tariffs on the auto sector.
But America's northern neighbor and largest trading partner was not named for additional duties, and Canadian goods eligible for the existing North American Free Trade Agreement appear exempt from the new duties for now.
Carney noted that Trump's latest announcement "preserves a number of important elements of our relationship, the trade relationship between Canada and the United States."
The prime minister, who replaced Justin Trudeau last month, said Trump's trade war would "negatively impact" the US economy and "directly affect millions of Canadians".
"We will fight these tariffs with countermeasures. We will protect our workers. In a crisis, it's important that we come together and it's essential that we act with purpose and with strength, and that's exactly what we're going to do," he said.
Carney, a wealthy former investment banker who previously ran the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has called a general election for April 28.
Last week, in a conversation with Trump, the two agreed to discuss the future of bilateral trade after the election.
Polls currently predict that Carney's Liberal Party will win a majority.
That would mark a stunning turnaround for the party, which at the start of the year was trailing the opposition Conservatives badly in the polls. | BGNES
