Canada fights back as Trump’s tariffs spark outrage

A Montreal resident told NV how Canada is resisting U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive and offensive remarks, and how ordinary Canadians are contributing to this cross-border conflict.

In recent weeks, Canada has found itself at the center of an economic and political storm triggered by Trump’s aggressive actions. The White House’s new occupant has declared a trade war, imposing 25% tariffs on several Canadian goods and a 10% levy on its energy exports. Trump also suggested that Canada should become yet another star on the U.S. flag.

As a result, Canada is now set to welcome a new prime minister. Mark Carney, 59, will take over leadership of the Maple Leaf nation during these turbulent times.

On March 9, Carney, a former governor of the central banks of both Canada and England, was elected as the new leader of the ruling Liberal Party, replacing Justin Trudeau. Trudeau announced his resignation as prime minister amid government disputes over how Canada should respond to Trump’s tariff threats and shape its economic policy.

Ontario, Canada’s largest province, has already introduced a 25% export tariff on electricity supplied to three U.S. states.

What do Canadians expect from Carney, and how do they feel about Trump’s actions and threats? NV spoke with journalist Olena Vitvitska, who has lived in Canada since 1996 and now resides in Montreal.

What are Canadians talking about right now? What concerns them the most?

Today, the big topic is Canada’s new Liberal Party leader and prime minister — Mark Carney. He was elected with 86% of the vote — an overwhelming result, truly remarkable.

Although I personally supported Chrystia Freeland [Canada’s former finance minister], the Liberal Party was clearly set on Carney, so his victory was no surprise.

Carney is a Canadian economist and politician who previously led the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England. He held the latter role during critical moments like Brexit and the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he handled those challenges well — people still talk about that.

Currently, people are expecting some domestic political changes. However, judging by Carney’s pre-election remarks, his policies are unlikely to differ much from Trudeau’s. By the way, Carney grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, a province with a large Ukrainian community.

Now Trudeau must formally step down and meet with the governor general [Canada’s official representative of the British monarch], who will invite the new Liberal leader to form a government. This could happen immediately, within a few days, or even a week.

Most likely, Carney will want to get to work as soon as possible. He will need to form his cabinet and schedule his swearing-in.

There’s also ongoing talk about possible early elections, which could be announced in the coming days or weeks after Carney assumes office. The Liberal Party is eager to capitalize on the momentum it has gained over the past two months, giving it a potential edge in the upcoming vote.

What do people expect from the new prime minister amid tensions with the United States?

As I mentioned, Carney’s tariff policy is unlikely to differ much from Justin Trudeau’s. However, the government has already convened provincial premiers to address internal trade issues.

In Canada, there’s a system of internal tariffs. For example, one Quebec-based brewer once said it was easier to ship his beer to the moon than to Ontario. In other words, there are trade barriers between provinces. Now, efforts are underway to remove those obstacles. The government has carefully studied the issue and already approved several measures to allow goods to move freely across the country.

I believe Mark Carney will continue on this path — developing the internal market and seeking alternative trade partners. I expect this will be the new Liberal leader’s economic strategy.

How are Canadians reacting to Trump’s foreign policy and his comments about Canada?

When Trump’s administration introduced these tariffs, it shocked Canadians. First, because Trump had already imposed tariffs on Canadian aluminum and softwood lumber during his first term, but those were short-lived. He eventually realized those measures hurt his own country and withdrew them.

But now he’s doing it again — and on a much larger scale. People were surprised.

Then came the uncertainty — questions about when the tariffs would take effect, what volume they would cover, and which goods would be targeted. The situation seemed to change almost daily: one day tariffs were introduced, the next they were postponed, then scheduled for April, then moved to March.

This instability has created serious uncertainty, making it difficult for businesses and consumers to plan ahead. Naturally, this unpredictability is weighing heavily on people’s mood. Canadians have actively engaged in an “anti-Trump,” “anti-tariff” movement in response.

What does this resistance look like? Are Canadians boycotting American goods? How widespread is it?

Yes, absolutely. Every day, I see people sharing lists on social media showing Canadian alternatives to American products, urging others to “buy Canadian.”

Someone recently posted a photo from a popular American coffee chain — the place was completely empty, which is unheard of. While you can’t draw broad conclusions from one image, it reflects the growing sentiment here.

In a way, it’s reminiscent of how Vladimir Putin once inadvertently awakened Ukraine’s national consciousness. Now, Trump’s actions have stirred Canadian patriotism in a similar way.

British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec have removed American alcoholic beverages from store shelves.

The boycott campaign is widespread, and it’s not fading — it’s gaining momentum. American producers will inevitably feel the impact. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but they’ll feel it — that’s certain.

People are now closely inspecting product labels. Mexican fruits are in high demand, and shelves are increasingly stocked with agricultural products from Chile, Peru, and, of course, Mexico. Just recently, I read that Canada is opening its market to Ukrainian apples.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s premier has imposed 25% tariffs on electricity exports to 1.5 million American customers in New York, Minnesota, and Michigan. Quebec, which also supplies electricity to the United States, is considering similar measures or possibly halting exports altogether.

Ontario had also considered cutting off power supplies entirely but instead opted for the 25% tariff for now.

The United States is a net importer of Canadian electricity, having purchased about 50% more from Canada last year than it sold in return. Border states are highly dependent on Canadian energy, making this a significant point of leverage in the trade standoff.

How else are Canadians expressing their sentiments? Has their attitude toward Americans changed?

On a personal level, Canadians have shown their frustration with tariffs by booing the U.S. national anthem at hockey games. This happened several times during NHL matches between Canadian and American teams. Although politicians urged the public not to do so, some fans still expressed their discontent in this way.

It seems there were even some fights at games.

There haven’t been any major incidents, but there have been minor confrontations.

I wouldn’t say attitudes toward all Americans have turned negative, but they have definitely shifted — that’s certain. There’s a sense that, “Well, you elected this president, so you’re responsible for this.”

On March 8, a group of women in Montreal held a protest outside the U.S. consulate, demonstrating against Trump’s trade war, which they believe harms both countries.

People are baffled by how Trump fails to see that his actions will hurt the United States — especially ordinary Americans — as much as they harm Canada.

What are business and economic experts saying about how painful these tariffs will be for Canada, given Trump’s repeated changes?

This will be a painful situation for both Canada’s and the United States’ economies. As local media put it, the “big three” American automakers — General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis — were the first to make Trump “blink.” Following pressure from these companies, Trump agreed to delay the 25% tariffs on cars assembled in Canada and Mexico for 30 days.

However, the White House stressed that this pause was intended to give automakers time to shift production back to the United States — as if that could happen in just 30 days.

The constant back-and-forth over tariffs is confusing and exhausting. For instance, in early January, the Canadian Real Estate Association predicted that home sales would rise nearly 9% this year, factoring in an expected reduction in interest rates by the Bank of Canada.

Now, however, the association’s senior economist suspects that forecast will need to be revised downward due to trade war risks, which are throwing the construction sector into disarray. Developers are once again worried about rising construction costs, much like what happened during the pandemic.

For years, Canadian homebuilding has relied on free trade with the United States and Mexico, which allowed for the smooth cross-border flow of rebar, drywall, flooring, appliances, glass, doors, and HVAC systems. Now, with uncertainty looming, construction is likely to slow.

Recently, Trump said he wants to “review” the U.S.-Canada border. Does that concern, anger, or alarm people?

Personally, I believe this mostly irritates and angers people. How exactly does he plan to “review” the border? He has no idea how to make that happen.

He wants land access to Alaska — that’s madness! How would he even achieve that? Trump’s desire to break things is clear, but whether he has the ability to follow through is highly doubtful.

Canadians are confident they won’t give up their land, and no borders are going to shift. But this idea has left people shocked, frustrated, and outraged.

Canadians have rallied together like never before — not in the nearly 30 years I’ve lived here. I’ve never seen such national unity under any circumstances.

This anti-American sentiment is everywhere. I can walk into a store and overhear someone mention “Trump,” and immediately the conversation turns to: “What a lunatic! Who elected this guy?” You can feel it at every turn.

How did people react to Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state?

People were outraged and deeply offended. There were protests, demonstrations, and a wave of frustration expressed on social media.

Trump never stopped attacking Justin Trudeau, repeatedly referring to him as a “governor” whenever he mentioned him in speeches. This infuriated Canadians, who saw it as highly disrespectful. Many wrote messages of support directly to the prime minister’s office.

Are Trump’s foreign policy decisions regarding Ukraine discussed in Canada? Does it concern Canadians?

Yes, people are talking about it, and the incident at the White House involving [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is still being discussed. Some Canadians even criticized [U.S. Vice President J.D.] Vance for how he presented himself during the situation.

Support for Ukraine continues to grow. A local acquaintance of mine — a woman with no personal ties to Ukraine beyond knowing me — recently shared a post from a French politician who analyzed the Zelenskyy incident in detail, strongly supporting Ukraine.

In a way, the anti-Trump sentiment in Canada seems to have amplified support for Ukraine.

Canadians feel slighted too — not to the same extent as Ukraine, of course — but there’s a sense that Canada has also faced threats and hostility. This frustration has translated into increased solidarity with Ukraine, especially after Trump halted arms shipments, leaving supplies stuck at the border. Canadians were deeply disturbed by this, and it seemed to backfire on Trump — producing the opposite effect of what he may have intended.

What else should people know about the mood in Canada?

The Canadian government is actively working to support businesses as much as possible. Ottawa recently announced a $6 billion CAD ($4.1 billion USD) aid plan to help businesses cope with the impact of U.S. tariffs.

These funds will be distributed through targeted programs, including support for agricultural producers.

A 25% tariff is substantial, and Canada is now focusing on ways to bolster its domestic industries at both the federal and provincial levels.