“I love the farmer”: Trump pledges more tariffs on Canadian goods

Glacier FarmMedia—U.S. President Donald Trump says he’ll impose more tariffs on Canadian goods on April 2.

“April second, reciprocal tariffs kick in,” Trump said in his address to U.S. Congress Tuesday night. “Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them, that’s reciprocal, back and forth.” He said this included “non-monetary barriers” used by other countries.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday morning retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including $30 billion immediately, with another $125 billion to come in the next 21 days if the U.S. doesn’t back down.

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Trump also called the tariffs “great for the American farmer.”

“I love the farmer,” Trump said, “who will now be selling into our home market, the USA, because nobody is going to be able to compete with you.”

“The tariffs will go on agricultural product coming into America and our farmers, starting on April second. It may be a little bit of an adjustment period.”

According to a Reuters report, in a rebuttal to Trump’s speech, Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin refuted the idea that tariffs will help American agriculture.

“His tariffs on allies like Canada will raise prices on energy, lumber and cars and start a trade war that will hurt manufacturing and farmers,” Slotkin said.

In a CNN interview Tuesday, U.S. representative Ilhan Omar likewise said tariffs would have an impact on farmers in her (and Slotkin’s) state of Minnesota.

“To him, it’s a punishment for Canada,” Omar said, “but what it will ultimately be is a punishment on Minnesota workers, Minnesota farmers and Minnesota industries.”