Trump threatens ‘large scale’ tariffs on Canada, EU

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening 'large scale' tariffs on Canada and the European Union after slapping a fresh round of tariffs on auto imports.

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening “large scale” tariffs on Canada and the European Union after announcing a fresh round of tariffs on auto imports that will hit next week.

In a post early Thursday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!”

This new warning comes after Trump signed an executive order Wednesday for 25 per cent tariffs on all foreign-made cars and light trucks, in addition to tariffs already in place on those goods.

The auto tariffs that are set to go into effect April 2 will not apply on U.S.-made parts in foreign-made vehicles, according to the order.

The executive order stated that Trump was taking action to protect the American automobile industry, which it claimed is “vital to national security and has been undermined by excessive imports.”

The U.S. has so far imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods, as well as an additional 25 per cent on steel and aluminum imports and a 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy imports.

Global “reciprocal” tariffs on all foreign imports, including from Canada, are also planned for April 2, which is when the auto tariffs are set to take effect.

Canada has already responded to Trump’s trade actions with counter-tariffs on almost $60 billion worth of American goods, which were announced in retaliation for the 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods and a subsequent round that was retaliation for the steel and aluminum tariffs.