Following President Donald Trump's reaffirmation of his desire to enact tariffs on Canada on Saturday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has responded.
She said that while Canada would not act preemptively, as soon as an official move is made, Ottawa will react.
In a press conference from Washington, DC alongside Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Joly said Canada will "be ready" with a "strong retaliation plan" if Trump turns his words into action.
"The Canadian government will react when the president does something," she emphasized, "when he signs something, when he makes a concrete decision."
Earlier Friday, Trump declared from the Oval Office that he would be moving ahead with tariffs on Canada and Mexico as of February 1, but did not sign anything. Joly said Canada therefore did not interpret his comments as an official declaration.
"We have yet to see any formal decision making done by President Trump nor any specific details," she said.