Canadian Prime Minister says Canada will respond to Trump’s new tariffs with 'swift, forceful, and very strong' retaliatory measures—what information is worth noting?

For Zhihu users’ reference, here is additional information: Latest update! Canadian Prime Minister announces 'swift, forceful, and very strong' retaliatory measures in response to Trump’s proposed tariffs. Editor: Du Yu According to CCTV News, on January 21 local time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated at a special cabinet meeting held in Montebello, Quebec, that if U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods starting February 1, Canada will retaliate—and pledged to respond with 'swift, forceful, and very strong' countermeasures. Trudeau said that, if necessary, Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs and affirmed his support for the principle of dollar-for-dollar (i.e., equivalent) tariff reciprocity. According to CBC News, Canada has already drawn up corresponding plans: should Trump take action against Canada, Canada will immediately impose tariffs on $37 billion CAD worth of U.S. goods. If the U.S. does not back down, the value of targeted U.S. goods subject to tariffs could rise to $110 billion CAD. Moreover, Canada may also prepare more severe measures—including an oil export ban. Nonetheless, there are differing voices within Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that the Canadian government should attempt to resolve the trade dispute through diplomatic means. According to CCTV News, on January 20 local time, Trump signed a series of executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House, announcing that, effective February 1, he would impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada and Mexico. Earlier, on January 15 local time, Canada’s 13 provincial premiers met with Prime Minister Trudeau in Ottawa for several hours in a federal-provincial council meeting. Canada has drafted a list of countermeasures, preparing to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion CAD (approximately $105 billion USD) worth of U.S. products.

After Canada finally ‘flips the table,’ Trump’s most dangerous vulnerability isn’t that he offends enemies.

After Canada finally ‘flips the table,’ Trump’s most dangerous vulnerability isn’t that he offends enemies. I. Why Canada is genuinely furious this time Someone on Zhihu has already summed up this incident in a striking phrase: ‘Overnight, Canada flipped the table.’ Indeed, it truly feels like flipping the table. U.S.-Canada trade negotiations collapsed at the eleventh hour. The U.S. formally imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion USD worth of Canadian goods. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney immediately announced that, starting September 8, Canada would launch a dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariff campaign against U.S. goods. When asked by reporters whether Canada and the U.S. were now engaged in a trade war, Carney answered bluntly: ‘Being attacked *is* war—we have been attacked.’ Many readers, upon seeing this, instinctively conclude: ‘Canada has finally stood up for itself.’ ‘Trump has even driven his closest ally to revolt.’ Yet I find myself wondering: Why is Canada willing to endure 50% tariffs rather than sign the agreement? The answer lies in what transpired during the final days of negotiations. Originally, both sides were extremely close to reaching a deal. Trump even prematurely declared ‘DEAL’—and the U.S. suspended its planned tariff hike for three days. When Canadian negotiators and the U.S. Trade Representative jointly appeared before the press, both sides claimed substantial progress had been made. Yet within less than 48 hours, negotiations completely collapsed. Bear in mind: this isn’t a trade dispute between two small countries doing a few billion dollars in annual business. U.S.-Canada bilateral trade approaches $900 billion USD annually. So—what exactly happened? Carney later offered a revealing explanation: At the last minute, the U.S. introduced new demands—including restrictions on Canada’s future ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries, as well as provisions affecting Canadian culture, French-language protection, and national sovereignty. At this point, the negotiation had clearly ceased to resemble conventional tariff talks. The U.S. was no longer merely debating: ‘How much tariff on your cheese?’ ‘How much tariff on our cars?’ ‘Can your whiskey be sold in supermarkets?’ Instead, it began encroaching on a far more fundamental question: ‘Who can Canada trade with in the future—and how may Canada formulate its own industrial policies?’ Of course, the U.S. offers its own justification: The White House contends that Canada has long maintained discriminatory practices against U.S. dairy products and alcoholic beverages; therefore, imposing up to 50% additional tariffs under U.S. domestic law aims to rectify so-called ‘unfair treatment.’ U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer likewise argues that Canada itself abandoned an agreement that would have granted it preferential treatment. Thus, this is not simply a case of: ‘The U.S. bullies others, and Canada resists.’ What’s truly intriguing is that the two sides’ understanding of the word ‘ally’ has begun to diverge. II. For decades, Canada has bound itself too tightly to the U.S. Canada’s conception of the alliance remains rooted in the framework of past decades: ‘I’ll open my markets wide to you; I’ll supply you with energy; I’ll integrate my supply chains with yours; And I’ll align with you on security matters.’ In return, what did Canada expect? A relatively stable set of rules. From the 1989 U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, to NAFTA, and then to USMCA, Canada’s work over the past several decades has essentially been embedding its economy ever deeper into the U.S. market. Just how deeply embedded? In 2025, 71.7% of Canada’s merchandise exports still go to the U.S. What does that mean? Imagine you run a company. Seventy percent of your orders come from a single client. This client previously assured you: ‘As long as you abide by the rules we jointly established, our partnership will continue long-term.’ So you expand your factory. You build railways.

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