By Rob Gillies
TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that Canada would equal 25% automotive prices from US President Donald Trump with a price on imported vehicles from the United States.
Trump previously announced that 25% prices on automotive imports entered into force on Thursday. The Prime Minister said he told Trump last week during a telephone call he was going to fight back for these prices.
“We take these reluctance measures. And we take them in a manner that is planned and will result in a maximum impact in the United States and a minimum impact in Canada,” said Carney.
Carney said Canada did not pay rates on car parts as Trump did because he said Canadians were experiencing the benefits of the integrated automotive sector. The pieces can come through the Canada-American border several times before being fully assembled in Ontario or Michigan.
Carney said Canadians already saw the impact.
Car manufacturer Stellantis said it had closed its assembly plant in Windsor, Canada for two weeks from April 7, the local union announced on Wednesday. Local 444 section of Unifor, James Stewart said that more schedule changes were expected in the coming weeks.
Carney said it will have an impact on 3,600 car workers he met last week.
Cars are the second export of Canada and the sector employs 125,000 Canadians directly and almost 500,000 others in related industries.
Carney announced last week a 2 billion dollars ($ 1.4 billion) “strategic response” that will protect Canadian automobile jobs affected by Trump prices.
Trump had previously placed 25% of Canada steel and aluminum rates. And Carney said Canada can expect new prices on pharmaceuticals, wood and semiconductors.
“Given the potential damage to their own people, the American administration should possibly change course,” said Carney. “Although their policy affects American families, until this pain becomes impossible to ignore, I do not think they change direction, so that the road to this point can indeed be long. And will be difficult for Canadians as it will be on other partners in the United States. ”
Carney, a former central banker twice in Canada and the United Kingdom, said Trump’s actions would have repercussions in Canada and around the world. “They are all unjustified and unjustified and, on our judgment, mavized,” said Carney.
Canada at $ 30 billion Canadian dollars ($ 21 billion) in $ 30 -$ 30 reprisals, having been applied to items such as American orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, household appliances, shoes, cosmetics, motorcycles and certain paste products and paper.
Carney suspended his electoral campaign to return to Ottawa to deal with Trump’s prices.
The conservative chief of the opposition, Pierre Hairy, said that he would remove the federal tax on vehicles manufactured in Canada.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford, the province of which has most of Canada’s automotive industry, described the latest rates in Canada a “measured response”.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
