Justin Trudeau on Relations with Donald Trump
Justin Trudeau's tenure as Prime Minister saw Canada-US relations deteriorate significantly upon the inauguration of Donald Trump as President in 2017, a sharp contrast to the amicable relationship Trudeau enjoyed with Barack Obama.
The core of the friction centered on trade, where the Trump administration forced a renegotiation of NAFTA, culminating in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which required Canada to make concessions, notably in the dairy sector.
Furthermore, Donald Trump implemented tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, prompting Trudeau to retaliate with equivalent tariffs on US goods; this pattern of trade friction re-emerged immediately upon Trump's return to the presidency in 2025, leading to further countermeasures from Trudeau.
Context
Justin Trudeau, as Prime Minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025, had the primary responsibility for managing the nation's most important bilateral relationship with the United States.
His interactions with Donald Trump were central to his early foreign policy, particularly given the deep economic integration between the two countries, primarily through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trudeau's government ultimately had to renegotiate.
Timeline
- Trudeau began his premiership enjoying good relations with President Barack Obama, despite disagreements over issues like the Keystone Pipeline.
- Canada-US relations deteriorated after Donald Trump became president, marked by trade disputes and other friction points.
- The Trump administration forced the renegotiation of NAFTA into CUSMA, where Canada conceded on areas like dairy supply management, and Trump imposed steel/aluminum tariffs.
- Following Trump's second inauguration, he imposed new tariffs, to which Trudeau immediately responded with significant retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.
Actions Taken
- Trade retaliationImplemented 25% retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
- Trade retaliationAnnounced countermeasures, imposing 25% tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, after Trump imposed new tariffs upon his 2025 inauguration.
Sources5
- When Donald Trump became president in 2017, Canada-US relations deteriorated.
- Trudeau enjoyed good relations with the "like-minded" United States president Barack Obama, despite Trudeau's support for the Keystone Pipeline, which was rejected by the Democratic president.
- The Trump administration forced the renegotiation of NAFTA to create the CUSMA, in which Canada made significant concessions...
- Donald Trump also implemented tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, to which Trudeau retaliated by imposing tariffs on American steel, aluminum and a variety of other American products.
- Following Donald Trump's second inauguration in January 2025, Canada-US relations again deteriorated. On March 4, 2025, President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian exports...
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.