Canada’s leaders breathe sigh of relief as Trump tariff paused for 30 days

TRENTON, Canada

A 30-day reprieve granted Monday by US President Donald Trump from a 25% tariff he threatened to impose on Canadian goods has leaders breathing a cautious sigh of relief.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault was pleased by the “good news” of the pause in the tariff, which was to be place on Canadian exports to the US on Tuesday. But he complained that “uncertainty remains” and that is the trouble in dealing with Trump.

“There’s always the sword hanging over our heads,” he said, reported the Business Intelligence for B.C. publication.

On hearing of the reprieve, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he has cancelled the retaliatory tactic of removing US alcohol from Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) shelves. But he warned the liquor would disappear and he would prohibit American companies from bidding on government contracts if the tariff threat was enacted by Trump on March 1.

"If President Trump proceeds with tariffs, we won't hesitate to remove American products off LCBO shelves or ban American companies from provincial procurement," Ford said in a statement late Monday afternoon, the CBC reported.

Ford also paused his cancellation of a CAN$100 million (US$69 million) contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink to improve rural internet services.

A last-minute extension on the tariff on Canadian exports (10% on oil) was reached Monday afternoon during a phone call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump as Canadian businesses waited on tenterhooks.

The tariffs would be devastating for the Canadian economy.

Trump warned that unless Canada and Mexico stopped the flood of the killer drug fentanyl crossing from their borders into the US, the tariffs would go into effect. He also wanted a halt to immigrants entering illegally into the US from Mexico and Canada.

Trump got his wish. During the phone conversation, Trudeau laid out a CAN$1.3 billion border plan which includes helicopters, the appointment of a “fentanyl czar” and “24-7” eyes on the border. Mexico promised to send 10,000 troops to patrol the Mexico-US border.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was pleased with the pause.

"This is a significant change, and it's a positive change, I think, not just for each of us as Canadians, but also for North America," he told the CBC’s Power and Politics program after the tariff reprieve was announced.