Front Burner

The Trump tariff trade war and you

The U.S and Canada are in a trade war. What could the tariffs from both sides mean for you?
Trudeau and ministers stand behind a podium
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses media following the imposition of a raft of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada, Mexico and China, in Ottawa, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty, left to right, Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Minister of Governmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc look on. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

On Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government would hit back against the U.S. after President Donald Trump launched a trade war against Canada.

Starting Tuesday, the U.S. is imposing 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods and 10 per cent on energy products in particular. In response, Trudeau said that the federal government would levy retaliatory 25 per cent tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods.

CBC senior business reporter Peter Armstrong on the consequences of a Canada-U.S. trade war, and what these tariffs might mean for the average Canadian.

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