Donald Trump is “picking the wrong target” by threatening Canada with sweeping tariffs, Quebec’s premier says.
As Francois Legault wrote Wednesday in The Hill, a U.S. political news website, the president-elect’s proposal of a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian exports “can backfire.”
“Canada will not become the 51st state in the union, but our economies are so intertwined that in terms of trade, we already have a customs union,” Legault wrote in his opinion piece.
“This free trade in goods between our two countries … has greatly enriched our economies and our peoples. Instead of turning on each other, let’s keep on building a great North American economic powerhouse: it’s in our mutual interest.”
Trump’s tariff threat, which includes Mexico, stems from his demand the two allies tighten border security. Ottawa finally unveiled a detailed plan Wednesday, but Trump has not backed down.
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In his column, Legault …