Trump's tariff threat would be damaging to Canadian, American workers: Trudeau

OTTAWA - A 25 percent tariff would be damaging to both Canadian and American workers alike and would lead to job losses on both sides of the border, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Wednesday, in response to US President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat.

Trudeau on Wednesday night held a virtual meeting with all 13 premiers to discuss Trump's tariff threat, according to a readout issued by the prime minister's office.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland called on premiers to make use of all of their contacts, channels, and abilities to relay important information and messages to Americans and people of influence.

They agreed to continue working closely together to advocate for Canada's interests and the deep economic ties that drive prosperity on both sides of the border, across all sectors of the economy.

Trump vowed on Monday to impose a 25 percent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office, saying that he will keep them in place until both countries crack down on drugs and immigrants entering the United States illegally from their territories.

For the first nine months of this year, Canada exported more than 300 billion US dollars in goods to the United States, according to Statistics Canada.