Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. affirmed that the country is willing to boost American imports in the wake of President-elect Trump’s threats to increase tariffs.
“We are happy to source what we can from the United States. And we have some big military procurements coming up, for example, replacing our entire submarine fleet,” Ambassador Kirsten Hillman told the Associated Press in an article published Monday.
“Maybe those are some purchases that can happen from the U.S.,” she added, noting 70 percent of Canada’s military procurement is from the U.S.
Hillman said she views Trump’s comments on spiking tariffs as a part of his “negotiating style” but emphasized it would be detrimental to citizens in both countries.
“Adding 25 percent tariffs to those products will raise the price for Americans almost immediately,” Hillman told AP. “And at a time when the cost of living is challenging, when food prices are high, it seems like the wrong direction to go in.”
Trump ran a campaign centered around economic stability with a heavy focus on decreasing everyday expenses for the average voter. But Trump has been harshly criticized by economists for proposing steep import taxes on goods from key allies and trading partners.
Hillman said Canada is willing to push back on any new tariffs from Trump.
“Canada will respond,” she said. “Therefore your number one customer will make American products more expensive and Canadians will probably look for alternatives to those products.”
Hillman insisted on maintaining a strong alliance with the U.S., she said if the relationship falters, the nation’s foreign adversaries will advance.
“If we are working at odds then frankly China wins. China is trying to drive us apart. That is clear,” Hillman stated.
“They look for every opportunity to do so. That’s not good for us, our citizens and Americans.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
