OTTAWA — Canada needs to fight fire with fire when it comes to countering American tariff threats, the leader of the federal NDP says.
In a statement Monday, Jagmeet Singh called on party leaders to back a plan to withhold Canadian critical minerals from export to the U.S. if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his tariff threats.
“Trump’s tax threats fly in the face of what Canada believes,” Singh said.
“It will mean job losses for hundreds of thousands of Canadians, higher prices for Americans and Canadians, and a weaker Canadian dollar — driving up inflation for Canadians yet again.”
Withholding cobalt and lithium — two elements critical for American electric car battery production of which Canada is a prodigious supplier — is a key tool to face down these threats, Singh said.
“In order to continue to export all minerals and products to the United States without job-killing tariffs, we need to stand up to the bully now,” he said.
“There’s no economic pressure stronger than withholding what Donald Trump needs. If Donald Trump comes for Canadian jobs and affordability, he’ll be attacking his plan, American jobs and affordability, too.”
On Monday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith — following her meeting Sunday with Trump at Mar-a-Lago — insisted that Trump will back down from the tariff threats, and that retaliation isn’t the answer.
“Oil and gas is owned by the provinces, principally Alberta, and we won’t stand for that,” she told a press conference, referring to comments made last week by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly that embargoing energy should be considered.
“You should never, ever threaten something you cannot do.”
Smith pointed to interconnected oil pipelines used to transport product to Ontario that cross into the United States, including Enbridge’s Line 5.
Last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off electricity exports to the U.S. as a way to counter the threat, as Ontario-bordering states rely heavily on imported Canadian power to keep their lights on.
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