Canadian Politician Doug Ford Criticizes Trump for Imposing Tariffs on Canadian Raw Aluminum

Canadian Premier Doug Ford criticized President Donald Trump after he imposed 10 percent tariffs on Canadian raw aluminum.

“I just have to say how disappointed I am with President Trump right now,” Ford said at his Friday news conference. “In times like this, who tries to go after your closest ally, your closest trading partner, your number one customer in the entire world? Who would do this? Well, President Trump did this.”

Ford said he spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland today to discuss imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Freeland responded that Canada would impose $3.6 billion in tariffs.

“We’re up against a real battle right now, it’s us versus them,” Ford said. “And I’ve always said, I love the American people. But right now, for the president to come and attack us during these times, through a pandemic when we need everyone’s support, is totally unacceptable.”

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Trump signed a proclamation imposing the tariffs on Thursday.

“To be a strong nation, America must be a manufacturing nation and not be led by a bunch of fools,” the president said. “That means protecting our national industrial base.”

“My administration agreed to lift those tariffs in return for a promise from the Canadian government that its aluminum industry would not flood our country with exports and kill all our aluminum jobs, which is exactly what they did,” he added. “Canadian aluminum producers have broken that commitment.”

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.