Trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, sparked by President Donald Trump's recent tariffs, are leading to urgent discussions in cottage country.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an emergency first ministers' gathering in Huntsville before the annual premiers' meeting on July 22. This surprise announcement on Friday came after Trump's latest escalation of tariff threats against Canada, reported the Toronto Star.

Go Ad Free

On Thursday, President Trump announced his administration will be imposing a 35% tariff on Canadian imports, effective August 1.

The U.S. earlier imposed three sets of tariffs affecting Canada: universal levies on steel, aluminum, and copper (50%), tariffs on automobiles and car parts, and Canada-Mexico-specific tariffs related to border security and drug trafficking, some with free-trade carve-outs.

Melanie Joly responds to President Trump's announcement that 35% tariffs will be imposed on Canadian goods on August 1st.

"While the U.S. is becoming weaker, we will become stronger and we will diversify and turn ourselves towards Europe," she says. pic.twitter.com/gaXzu0GoiT

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 11, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford initiated the meeting as chair. “In the face of President Trump’s latest threat, we need to come together,” Ford said on social media.

“We need a plan on how Canada will respond and how we’ll protect our workers, businesses and communities,” he added.

Canada’s tough-on-Trump counter-tariffs first took a step back in March after Premier Ford retracted a surcharge on hydroelectricity exports to Great Lakes states. The concessions came hours after Trump threatened “a financial price so big that it will be read about in history books.”

“Like him or not, don’t underestimate President Trump,” Ford said March 11. “He’s a smart businessperson.”

Canada imposed a 25% levy on $30 billion in U.S. goods the following day, expanding counter-tariffs to an additional $125 billion the next month.

However, a mid-election notice on April 16 revealed that the Liberal cabinet had delayed collecting tariffs on most goods until October.

Trump threatens 35% tariffs on Canada while Carney vacations

Carney has been unable to reach a successful trade deal with the U.S. president despite a journalist recently labelling him as the 'Trump whisperer'.

More on the story: https://t.co/9e5l0NCcUK

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 11, 2025

Ford now looks to Carney and his fellow premiers to remain united against continued pressures from the south. “Together, we’re going to remain united as we protect Ontario and protect Canada.”

Carney and Canada’s premiers hope Trump's chaos prompts greater federal-provincial cooperation on infrastructure and trade diversification. The One Canadian Economy Act, or Bill C-5, seeks to expedite "nation-building" projects, although Carney has not yet specified which projects will be prioritized.

“We are building Canada strong,” Carney wrote on social media. “We are poised to build a series of major new projects in the national interest. We are strengthening our trading partnerships throughout the world.”

“We take note of the comments made by the president and of course we'll let the prime minister continue his negotiations,” Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters Friday. 

“We have already had a very strong response, and we want to make sure that while we are putting pressure on the American administration, that at the same time we're protecting jobs while creating jobs,” she claimed.

When asked if the federal government misled Canadians on the ‘Elbow’s Up’ promise, Joly said: “I reject that premise.” 

“Of course we will make sure that we defend our workers. That has been at the core of everything we've been doing but at the same time we're dealing with a very unpredictable US administration.” 

She added that the goal is to access trade markets in Europe.