Canada’s Conservatives are calling for an emergency parliamentary committee meeting and demanding that Prime Minister Mark Carney explain his government’s strategy for dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat.
Conservative shadow minister for Canada-U.S. relations Shuv Majumdar has written to Carney requesting an emergency meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade next week. The Conservatives also want the federal government to table its written plans for negotiations with Washington at the hearings.
The demand follows Trump’s announcement that the United States intends to impose 50 per cent tariffs on a significant number of Canadian goods. The new tariffs are expected to take effect in August if the two countries fail to reach an agreement.
U.S. officials have linked the proposed tariffs to several longstanding trade disputes, including provincial restrictions on American alcohol, Canada’s supply-managed dairy sector and quotas affecting U.S. automobiles.
Majumdar argues that Canadians deserve greater clarity about how the Carney government intends to respond to the escalating trade dispute and protect Canadian workers and businesses.
Carney, meanwhile, has said Canada has made detailed proposals aimed at resolving the dispute and modernizing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade relationship. The prime minister has also said Ottawa is prepared to take necessary measures to defend Canadian workers, farmers, businesses and families.
Earlier this week, Carney indicated that Canada has a full range of options available if negotiations fail, while declining to publicly reveal specific retaliatory measures under consideration.
With the proposed U.S. tariffs approaching, pressure is increasing on Ottawa to secure an agreement with Washington and prevent another major escalation in the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.