Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison says Canada needs to mount a strong response against tariffs imposed on all Canadian exports into the US.
Morrison says strengthening international relationships to decrease Canada’s dependence on the United States may be an effective approach to protecting the national economy.
“It’s a wake-up call for us to look at a variety of export/import partners. If it’s going to cost us so much more money to trade with the US, let’s trade somewhere else,” said Morrison.
Both the federal and provincial governments have previously stated plans to expand trade relations in Europe and Asia.
Morrison says a strong retaliatory response is needed, but the government must ensure Canadian citizens and businesses get support.
“If they tariff 25 per cent on our exports going south, do we tariff 25 per cent on whatever we’re importing?” said Morrison.
“That will hurt us again, but if we put a tariff on, we should be subsidizing the businesses who lost. All of that money should go right back to businesses, not into government pockets.”
On Tuesday, the federal government announced a plan to support Canadian businesses impacted by US tariffs.
However, Morrison says Canadians will feel the pinch of an escalating Canada/US trade war.
“If we tariff 25 per cent on fruits and vegetables, what does that do at the grocery store? Right now, our food banks are overloaded because people can’t afford to eat, and here we are talking about how those costs could rise up even more,” said Morrison.
“Whatever we do as a country, we better think about the ones getting hurt.”
One of the reasons US President Donald Trump cited for imposing the tariffs was border security, which the Canadian government committed to strengthening.
“We have a problem with illegal guns coming into Canada and human trafficking, so strengthening the border is probably a good idea, so let’s do that, even though it’s giving Trump what he wants,” said Morrison.
President Trump also claimed that tariffs were imposed because Canada did not stop the flow of fentanyl or illegal immigration into the United States.
However, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canada accounts for less than one per cent of fentanyl and illegal immigration going into the US.
Morrison says the sentiment and economic attacks from the United States have spurred Canadian patriotism.
“Canadians are becoming proud to be Canadians,” said Morrison.
“Everybody is in the same boat, whether it’s Pierre Poilievre or Justin Trudeau, we’re not impressed at all with the US. We’re not a 51st state and we never will be. They’re all saying the exact same thing: we’re not being annexed by the United States.”
More: Trudeau slams Trump’s blanket tariffs as ‘a very dumb thing’
More: Trump confirms 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods to take effect at midnight
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