Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is calling out U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs.
On Tuesday, the Trump Administration followed through on threats to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the U.S. A 10% tariff was imposted on oil and gas despite Alberta's effort to enhance security at the Southern border — one of Trump's demands.
Kenney wrote on X, "The USA’s closest ally gets a 25% tariff on national security grounds, (while) China, the USA’s biggest strategic adversary and ultimate source of fentanyl ingredients, gets hit by — lower — tariffs while Trump pursues an economic partnership with Putin’s murderous Russian regime."
Kenney added, "And Trump muses about opening negotiations with the Iranian theocracy, the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism. To the very online MAGA North crowd — stop embarrassing yourselves by defending this lunacy."
"Why put hope in negotiating a new (trade) agreement with the United States when it just shredded the current agreement? Free markets depend on trust," said Kenney in a separate X post.
Canada, through Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has announced retaliation against Trump tariffs.
Effective March 4, a 25% tariff was applied to $30 billion worth of U.S. imports, including items like orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, cosmetics, apparel, household appliances, and motorcycles.
An additional 25% tariff on $125 billion worth of U.S. goods is set to take effect 21 days later, around March 25. The second wave will target products like passenger vehicles, trucks, steel, aluminum, certain fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy, and aerospace products.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responded to the tariffs, "(They) are an unjustifiable economic attack on Canadians and Albertans. They also represent a clear breach of the trade agreement signed by this same U.S. President during his first term."
She added, "These tariffs will hurt the American people, driving up costs for fuel, food, vehicles, housing, and many other products. They will also cost hundreds of thousands of American and Canadian jobs. This policy is both foolish and a failure in every regard.”