Canada considers retaliatory tariffs on specialties in U.S. Republican-dominated regions over Trump tariff threat

The Canadian government is considering imposing retaliatory tariffs on representative specialties in the U.S. Republican-dominated region in response to Trump's tariff threat.

Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg reported that the Canadian government is preparing various phased retaliatory tariff scenarios in preparation for Trump's high tariffs on Canadian imports after taking office.

Canada plans to immediately impose retaliatory tariffs on about 10 items if the incoming Trump administration begins imposing tariffs in any form.

The 10 items are said to include products that can draw Americans' attention, such as Florida orange juice and Kentucky bourbon whisky.

It is interpreted as a strategy to exacerbate public opinion over tariff policies by targeting representative specialties in Republican-dominated regions such as Florida and Kentucky.

The Trudeau administration will expand its retaliatory tariffs to other U.S. manufacturing products, such as U.S. steel and aluminum, if the Trump administration continues to increase the intensity of tariffs afterward.

Canada's U.S. steel imports amounted to 374 tons as of 2023, reaching 8.6 trillion won in terms of amount, and 430,000 tons of U.S. aluminum, which is 2.8 trillion won in terms of amount.

The provisional list of retaliatory tariffs reviewed by the Canadian government is estimated to reach up to 152 trillion won, Bloomberg said.

"We are reviewing all options and support a 'dollar-to-dollar' counter-action that responds in proportion to Trump's tariff bombs," Trudeau told reporters the day before.

Earlier in November last year, Trump said drugs and criminals flowed into the U.S. through the Canadian-Mexico border and would impose a 25% tariff if the problem was not resolved.

Canada's exports to the U.S. in 2023 are 605 trillion won, more than three-quarters of the total exports.

Trudeau visited Mar-a-Lago shortly after Trump's tariff bomb announcement and tried to resolve the issue, but Trump pressured him to "incorporate it into the 51st U.S. state if it is impossible to implement the requirements."