Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's speech to Americans
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech to Americans (the first eight minutes of his speech), delivered February 1, 2025, highlights the risks Americans face due to Trump’s mistaken belief that he has the power to unilaterally punish our trading partners and Americans, the pain and disbelief that Trump’s actions cause our Canadian friends, and how our partnership has benefited both. I implore you to listen to his speech or read the transcript directed to Americans:
Good evening. Today, the United States informed us they will be imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States, and 10% on Canadian energy. A decision, that should they elect to proceed with, should take effect on Tuesday, February 4th.
Tonight, first, I want to speak directly to Americans, our closest friends and neighbors. This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.
As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk: potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for US security, such as: nickel, potash, uranium, steel, and aluminum. They will violate the free trade agreement that the President and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, geography has made us neighbors, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy’s time in office and in the decades since. From the beaches of Normandy, to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you.
During your darkest hours, during the Iranian hostage crisis, those four hundred and forty-four days we worked around the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home. During the summer of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans or mere weeks ago when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California. During the day the world stood still, September 11th, 2001, when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes. We were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American People.
Together, we’ve built the most successful economic, military, and security partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world. Yes, we’ve had our differences in the past, but we’ve always found a way to get past them.
As I’ve said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new “golden age” for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us. Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable Democratic institutions, shared values, and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.
Let’s take a moment to talk about our shared border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there’s always, always more work to do. Less than 1% of fentanyl, less than 1% of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada. But hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the American President himself, we’re taking action. We launched a 1.3 billion dollar border plan that is already showing results. Because we, too, are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States. A drug that we, too, want to see wiped from the face of this earth. A drug who’s traffickers must be punished. As neighbors, we must work collaboratively to fix this. Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart, instead of bringing us together.
Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US trade action with 25% tariffs against 155 billion dollars worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on 30 billion dollars worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on 125 billion dollars worth of American products in 21 days time, to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.
Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far-reaching, and include everyday items such as American beer, wine, and bourbon; fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice; along with vegetables, perfume, clothing, and shoes. It’ll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture, and sports equipment. And materials like lumber and plastics. Along with much, much more. And as part of our response, we are considering, with the provinces and territories, several non tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy, procurement, and other partnerships. We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world.
