Thu Mar 27 03:04:14 UTC 2025: ## Canada Slams Trump’s “Direct Attack” as 25% Auto Tariffs Trigger Trade War Fears

**Toronto, March 27, 2025** – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on auto imports as a “direct attack” on Canada, triggering a fresh escalation in the ongoing trade war. Carney, speaking during a campaign stop in Windsor, Ontario, vowed to defend Canadian workers and businesses against the tariffs, which Trump declared permanent.

The announcement comes as U.S. consumer confidence has plummeted to a multi-year low, a decline Carney directly linked to Trump’s trade policies. The tariffs, set to begin in April, threaten Canada’s vital auto industry, which employs 125,000 Canadians directly and almost 500,000 more in related sectors. Autos are Canada’s second-largest export.

Carney announced a CA$2 billion (US$1.4 billion) “strategic response fund” to protect affected jobs and said he would postpone his election campaign to chair a special Cabinet committee on U.S. relations in Ottawa on Thursday. While he plans to retaliate, he stated he needs to review the details of Trump’s executive order first.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford echoed Carney’s concerns, warning that auto plants on both sides of the border could face simultaneous shutdowns if the tariffs are implemented. Ford called the tariffs a “Termination Day for American workers,” contrasting Trump’s celebratory rhetoric with the potential job losses.

The escalating trade conflict comes as Trump has also threatened further tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber, and all Canadian products by April 2nd. He also previously imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, and is pushing for Canada to become the 51st state of the US. The unusual lack of communication between Carney and Trump since Carney’s inauguration on March 14 further underscores the strained relationship.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also criticized Trump’s actions, urging him to reconsider the tariffs and noting the potential damage to both American and Canadian workers. The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, which carries 25% of all trade between the two countries, and CA$140 billion ($98 billion) annually, is at the center of the dispute. The current situation adds to the already significant uncertainty created by Trump’s on-again, off-again trade levies.

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