10 July,2025
RED FM News Desk
Prime Minister Mark Carney is convening an emergency First Ministers’ Meeting in Huntsville on Tuesday, July 22, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat against Canada.
The announcement follows Trump’s declaration that a sweeping 35 per cent tariff will be imposed on Canadian goods entering the United States as of August 1. The move, he claimed, is a response to fentanyl entering the U.S. from Canada — a claim widely disputed by American and Canadian data — as well as long-standing complaints over trade deficits and Canada’s supply-managed dairy sector.
“In the face of President Trump’s latest threat, we need to come together,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday. “We need a plan on how Canada will respond and how we’ll protect our workers, businesses and communities.”
Ford, who is chairing this year’s Council of the Federation summer meeting of premiers in Muskoka, added: “I’ve asked, and Prime Minister Carney has agreed to an in-person First Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, July 22 in Huntsville ahead of the Council of the Federation meeting with Canada’s premiers.”
“Together, we’re going to remain united as we protect Ontario and protect Canada,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that Carney will first meet with his cabinet on July 15 to focus on the escalating trade tensions and the ongoing Canada-U.S. negotiations.
“Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses,” Carney said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday night. “We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of Aug. 1.”
Trump’s new tariff threat came in a letter issued Thursday, claiming that the duties would apply to “Canadian products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs.” The letter reignited trade tensions and raised concerns across the Canadian political landscape.
The U.S. president pointed to fentanyl trafficking as a core justification for the tariff. Responding to those claims, Carney said, “Canada has made vital progress to stop the scourge of fentanyl in North America. We are committed to continuing to work with the United States to save lives and protect communities in both our countries.”
Meanwhile, a U.S. administration official speaking on background noted that goods under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will remain exempt from the proposed 35 per cent tariff. Exports of energy and potash to the U.S. are also expected to remain at a 10 per cent duty. However, the official cautioned that no final decisions have yet been made by President Trump.
The two countries are currently engaged in broader negotiations toward a new economic and security agreement, with July 21 previously set as a target date for resolution. It remains unclear whether that deadline has now shifted in light of Carney’s statement referencing an August 1 timeline.
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