Alexandre Lepoutre at Le Monde: Starting September 8, Canada will impose surcharges of 15% to 50% on these goods, totalling approximately $27.6 billion (about €17 billion), mirroring the value of Canadian exports hit by U.S. tariffs. “We did not choose this trade conflict. But we must stand up and defend our interests,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday. “We will never accept having another country dictate our course of action. Our future belongs to us.”
With these measures, Canada is pursuing a strategic response aimed at putting pressure on Washington, while trying to minimize damage to its own economy. Ultimately, it is Canadian importers – and, in the end, consumers – who will bear the cost of these tariffs. “You have power,” Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told them, encouraging Canadians to continue boycotting US products. “By choosing a Canadian product, you not only put pressure on the United States, but you also protect jobs. That’s how we can launch this resistance movement,” she added.