Donald Trump’s press secretary says Feb. 1 deadline for tariffs ‘still on the books’

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This article was published 28/01/2025 (234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump’s press secretary says the plan to slap Canada with tariffs on Saturday is still in play, as NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called for Parliament to return to prepare for the threat of devastating duties.

Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House that she spoke with the president Monday night and he indicated Feb. 1 was “still on the books” for imposing tariffs against Canada and Mexico.

Ottawa has prepared multiple options for retaliatory tariffs, depending on what Trump ultimately does. Trump initially promised 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs in response to what he called the failure of both countries to curb the illegal flow of people and drugs across the border.

Canadian officials have been cycling through Washington in recent weeks to promote Canada’s $1.3 billion border security plan and make the case that tariffs would hurt both economies.

The federal government is also looking at a relief package to help businesses and industries affected by Trump’s tariffs. It’s not clear what Ottawa has planned but it’s likely that much of the spending would require legislative approval.

That can’t happen until March 24, when Parliament resumes sitting. Opposition leaders have vowed to bring down the minority Liberal government at the first opportunity.

Singh said Tuesday that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberals brought opposition leaders together to present the government’s response plan. Singh said no such plan has been presented for Trump’s tariff threats.

“As it stands, my position remains we will be voting against the government at the earliest convenience,” Singh said in Burnaby, B.C.

“If the Liberals are serious about providing support to workers — and I think they should — then bring the opposition leaders together, present a plan.”

Singh appeared to leave the door open to supporting the government’s plan to respond to a tariff war — assuming he gets a chance to see it first. 

The NDP leader’s office later clarified that Singh wants Parliament recalled to deal with the duties ahead of any confidence vote.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also demanded Trudeau recall Parliament in the wake of Trump’s tariff threat.  

Multiple premiers have said provinces are considering relief plans much like those introduced during the pandemic.

B.C. Premier David Eby said Tuesday that any money gained through retaliatory tariffs should be immediately deployed to help impacted businesses survive and diversify their markets away from the U.S. 

He said Canadians have the resources to come out of any trade war stronger, more independent and ready to build more partnerships “with countries around the world that want to business with a strong democratic country that prioritizes its people and relationships around the world.”

Leavitt was asked about efforts by Canada and Mexico to address Trump’s concerns about border security but only noted a “historic level of co-operation from Mexico” — without mentioning Canada’s border plan. The number of people and drugs crossing illegally into the United States from Canada is minuscule compared to to volume crossing the United States’ southern border.

Leavitt, who is the youngest person to serve as presidential press secretary, also took questions about Trump’s pause on federal grants and loans, and the ramp-up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to fulfil the president’s pledge of mass deportations.

Trump has signed a stack of executive actions since returning to office as his new administration attempts to rapidly push America in a different direction. The president also has wielded his tariff threat against a growing number of countries, most recently against Colombia on Sunday.

Trump didn’t implement the duties against Canada on his first day back in office, as he’d vowed to do.

Instead, he signed an executive action that orders multiple federal agencies to study trade policies and trade deficits. It directs the secretary of commerce and the secretary of homeland security to assess migration and fentanyl flows from Canada, Mexico and China and recommend “appropriate trade and national security measures to resolve that emergency.”

Trump’s order says that the report on trade with Canada is not due until April 1. But the president has not backed away from his tariff threat and has repeatedly suggested the duties would come on Feb. 1.

His rhetoric has continued to escalate with complaints far beyond border security. He has insisted that the U.S doesn’t need Canadian commodities and products and continues to chide Canada over its defence spending.

“Canada has taken massive amounts of, you know, they send us millions of cars. We don’t need them for that,” Trump told Republican lawmakers in Florida Monday night.

“We want to have the cars made in Detroit or South Carolina or many other locations — whether it’s union or not union.”

— With files from Jim Bronskill in Ottawa and Brenna Owen in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2024.