Poilievre lays out his response to U.S. tariffs ahead of Trump’s announcement

TORONTO — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he wants to accelerate trade negotiations with the United States to bring an end to the uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

He rolled out his plan to address the trade war in a speech in Toronto Wednesday morning, ahead of an expected announcement from Trump on a new wave of reciprocal tariffs.

Poilievre said that if he becomes prime minister after the federal election on April 28, he will propose an early renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement ahead of its planned revision in 2026.

“Why wait? Why not get it done now? Why not end the uncertainty that is paralyzing both sides of the border?,” Poilievre asked.

He said Canada would seek a pause on all tariffs during those negotiations.

The trade deal, often referred to in Canada as CUSMA, was negotiated during Trump’s first term, and is up for review in 2026. However many trade experts have said Trump’s tariffs have effectively already suspended much of that agreement, including the two people who acted as chief negotiators for Canada and Mexico on that deal.

Steve Verheul, from Canada, and Ken Smith Ramos, of Mexico, said last month Trump’s actions have blown “a hole” in the trade deal.

Last week, Liberal Leader Mark Carney spoke by phone with Trump for the first time since being sworn in as prime minister on March 14. The two agreed that Canada and the U.S. would begin talks after the Canadian election toward a new economic and security pact.

The Conservative leader also laid out a series of “red lines” if he were to enter into negotiations with Trump.

Those include securing the border, protecting farmers under supply management and workers in the automobile industry, keeping rights to the country’s water and other natural resources and maintaining the Canadian dollar, official languages and Indigenous rights.

“Canada will, obviously, never be the 51st state,” Poilievre said.

“This is non-negotiable. We will protect Canada’s sovereignty in any negotiations.”

Poilievre also said that any “extra revenue generated from expanded trade with the United States will go right into our armed forces,” adding that Canada would hit the NATO target putting of two per cent of GDP toward defence spending.

This extra spending would help to secure Canada’s north and the surrounding Arctic waters, he said.

Poilievre said a new trade agreement with the U.S. is “ideal,” but Canada must also focus on building an economy that is no longer reliant on its largest trading partner.

“We need a long-term plan to build our economic fortress in Canada so we are never vulnerable to these kinds of threats again.”

Poilievre said that if Trump moves forward with tariffs, he would support retaliatory tariffs targeting U.S. goods that Canada produces or can source elsewhere.

The Conservatives are also promising a temporary loan program for businesses affected by tariffs to keep their employees working during the trade dispute.

Trump is planning to unveil his reciprocal tariff agenda at the White House around 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday in what he’s calling “liberation day.”

Trump has said he will impose reciprocal tariffs by increasing U.S. duties to match the tax rates other countries charge on imports, and it’s currently unclear whether a temporary pause on separate economywide duties on Canada will be lifted.

—Written by Craig Lord in Ottawa and Sharif Hassan in Toronto, with files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press