Canadian PM calls for "Buy Canadian" in response to Trump's new tariff threat

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Published :

25-01-2026 14:27|

Last Updated :

25-01-2026 15:04|

World

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urges consumers to buy Canadian products amid trade threats from US President Donald Trump.
Trump warns of 100 percent tariffs if Canada signs a trade deal with China following Carney’s Beijing visit.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney calls on citizens to bolster the domestic economy by purchasing Canadian-made goods, responding to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs on Canada if it moves forward with a trade agreement with China.

Carney said Canadians are choosing to focus on what they can control as external pressures mount on the economy. He adds that his government has adopted a new policy aimed at boosting demand for Canadian products.

Push for domestic resilience

“Our economy is built by Canadian resources and Canadian hands,” Carney says in the video. He emphasizes confidence in Canada’s workers and companies and frames the message as an effort to strengthen national resilience.

Without naming the United States, Carney signals the source of the pressure. “We cannot control what other countries do, but we can be our own best customer,” he says. “We will buy Canadian. We will build a strong Canada together.”

Trump escalates trade warning

Trump escalates the dispute later Saturday, threatening tariffs of 100 percent on Canadian imports if Ottawa finalizes a trade deal with Beijing. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump warns against Canada becoming a conduit for Chinese goods entering the United States.

“If Governor Carney thinks Canada will become a transshipment hub for China to send goods and products to the United States, he is very wrong,” Trump writes.

China visit adds context

The warning follows Carney’s visit to China last week, where he meets President Xi Jinping. During the trip, Carney says Canada and China are moving toward a new strategic partnership, remarks that draw scrutiny in Washington.

Canadian officials have not announced a finalized trade agreement with China. Carney’s office has not responded publicly to Trump’s tariff threat beyond the prime minister’s call to support Canadian products.

The dispute adds fresh uncertainty to North American trade ties as Ottawa balances economic diversification with pressure from its largest trading partner.