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President Donald Trump no longer plans to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports, top White House trade advisor Peter Navarro clarified to CNBC Tuesday (March 11) afternoon hours after the president's initial announcement.
Navarro responded, "correct," when asked if Ontario Premier Doug Ford's decision to pause the surcharge for electricity on Americans living in border states would halt Trump's retaliation to implement a 50% tariff on Canada. Trump, 78, previously announced a 50% tariff that as a retaliation to the province of Ontario placing a 25% tariff on electricity coming into the three bordering U.S. states, which he said would go into effect on Wednesday (March 12), in a post shared on his Truth Social account six hours prior to Navarro's clarification.
"Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on “Electricity” coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. "This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th. Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous. I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada.
"If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection.
"We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue. The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians’ taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that.
"The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, “O Canada,” will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!"
"Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area? Who made these decisions, and why? And can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use ELECTRICITY, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat? They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!" he added in a separate post.
Trump has instituted and pulled back tariffs on various Canadian goods during the first months of his second presidential term, claiming it was an effort to combat the trafficking of fentanyl into the U.S., which is significantly less common at the northern border than the U.S. border with Mexico.