Canada’s premiers are breathing a sigh of relief after U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs, with some viewing it as a chance to negotiate a way out of the tariff threat and others remaining prepared to retaliate if needed.
Following a call with Trump in the afternoon of Feb. 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the U.S. president had agreed to pause tariffs for 30 days while Canada implements border security measures, including its previously announced $1.3 billion federal border plan, the appointment of a “fentanyl czar,” and the launch of a “Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force” to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering.
Trump’s tariffs had been due to take effect on Feb. 4, and Ottawa was planning to impose 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. imports in retaliation.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the 30-day hold will allow for more negotiation and “for cooler heads to prevail.” Ford, who is in the middle off an election campaign, had vowed to retaliate at a provincial level if the tariffs were imposed by pulling American alcoholic beverages from store shelves, banning U.S. companies from provincial contracts, and scrapping a nearly $100 million contract with U.S. satellite internet provider Starlink, owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.
“With the U.S. pausing tariffs, Ontario will also pause our retaliatory measures,” Ford wrote in a Feb. 3 post on social media, adding that his province “won’t hesitate” to retaliate if Trump proceeds with tariffs.
“Make no mistake, Canada and Ontario continue to stare down the threat of tariffs. Whether it’s tomorrow, in a month or a year from now when we’re renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, President Trump will continue to use the threat of tariffs to get what he wants.”
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Ford added that Canada and the United States need to “remain united and focused on the real trade war we’re fighting, with China.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the news, describing the pause as a win for diplomacy. She also noted that as she had suggested before, one of the items Canada had to agree to in order for Trump to pause the tariffs was the appointment of a “fentanyl czar.”
“The appointment of a Canadian fentanyl czar with authority to coordinate a massive joint effort with the United Stated to target Fentanyl traffickers is something Alberta has been calling for since it became clear in our discussions with U.S. elected representatives and administration officials that this would be a critical part of reaching a deal to avoid tariffs,” Smith wrote in a Feb. 3 post on X.
She also repeated her call for Canadian leaders to scale down their tone on the issue and prioritize diplomacy.
“I once again call on our federal government officials and fellow Premiers to de-escalate rhetoric, abandon any non-tariff measures for the time being, and turn our efforts entirely to advocacy and good faith negotiation,” Smith said.
Like Ontario’s Ford, British Columbia Premier David Eby paused retaliatory measures that would have included halting the purchase of American liquor from Republican “red states” and barring U.S. suppliers from government and Crown procurement agreements.
“Our work continues while this tariff threat hangs over our heads,” Eby said at a Feb. 3 press conference, adding that the province will continue to prepare in case the tariffs are enforced.
“If there’s a [social media post] tomorrow that puts the tariffs back on, we need to be prepared,” Eby added. “We will be prepared, and we will continue our work to respond, and hopefully we don’t need to, and we can all move forward.”
Quebec Premier François Legault said that while the 30-day tariff hold is “good news,” unpredictability lingers.
“Uncertainty is very bad for the economy,” Legault wrote in a Feb. 3 post on X. “No matter what Mr. Trump decides, we must rethink our economy to be less dependent on the United States. We will improve our programs to help our companies diversify their markets.”
For the next 30 days, Quebec officials have halted retaliatory measures, which could include a 25 percent penalty on U.S. companies bidding on provincial contracts, matching U.S. tariffs, and suspending the sale of American liquor products.
For his part, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the temporary pause on tariffs is a chance to demonstrate Canada’s commitment to border security and leverage relationships with the United States while Canada works to find a “more permanent” solution.
“The delay of President Trump’s Tariffs is welcome news today. However, we know there is more work to do,” Moe wrote in a Feb. 3 post on social media. “I would encourage the federal government to move quickly on their border security commitments to demonstrate real action in this 30-day window.”
Following news of the tariff delay, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said his province won’t follow through on retaliatory measures, which would have included removing U.S. alcohol from liquor stores and cutting off U.S. companies from provincial contracts.
“I think we found out that there’s effective tools in the tool box that Manitoba and Canada has,” Kinew said on Feb. 3. Earlier in the day, Kinew told reporters his province is discussing how to “Trump-proof” its economy to avoid being in a vulnerable position in the future.
Sense of Relief
The sense of relief was more apparent for Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who said it has not been “an easy time” for Canadians as they watched “in real-time” how Trump’s “desired goals continued to shift.”
“For now, we can all take a breath,” Houston wrote in a Feb. 3 social media post. “We are relieved there will be a pause on tariffs imposed on Canada. President Trump’s tax would have had a very real, immediate negative impact.”
Houston said that, given the tariff pause, his province won’t implement retaliatory measures, including restricted access to provincial procurement for American companies, doubled toll costs at the Cobequid Pass highway, and the removal of U.S. alcohol products from store shelves.
“We will be ready to respond if needed but I believe that the strength of our long-time friendship with the United States will ultimately prevail,” Houston added.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt was pleased with the tariff postponement but said while she hopes the two countries can make progress in their trade talks in the coming weeks, her province stands ready to retaliate.
“We remain ready with our tariff response plan,” Holt wrote in a Feb. 3 post on X. “For now, American products will remain on ANBL [New Brunswick Liquor Corporation] shelves but we will not be purchasing new product.”
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said the tariff threat remains “very real” and that his province will “continue to stand strong” with the rest of the country.
“Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and Canadians believe in a well-informed, rational, united approach to any issue we face,” Furey wrote in a Feb. 3 post on X. “Less than 1% of fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from Canada, and our country will stop it.”
P.E.I Premier Dennis King called the pause “welcome” and said his province will suspend response measures, such as removing U.S. products from local liquor stores and restricting procurement with American companies.
“This decision creates space for important discussions to find a solution that protects jobs, businesses, and industries in PEI and across Canada,” King wrote in a Feb. 3 social media post.
A joint commission of Canada’s premiers, led by Ontario’s Ford, will visit Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12 to meet with U.S. elected officials and discuss trade.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
