U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday his plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports beginning Saturday. Speaking in the Oval Office while signing executive orders, Trump revealed that he would decide Thursday night whether oil would be included in the tariff package.
“Because they send us oil, we’ll see,” Trump told reporters. “It depends on the price. If the oil is properly priced, if they treat us properly—which they don’t.”
Initially, Trump linked the tariffs to Canada and Mexico’s failure to control the illegal movement of people and drugs across the border. However, his complaints have now extended beyond border security, with Trump citing trade deficits as a key concern.
“The tariffs may or may not rise with time,” Trump stated, leaving the door open for further escalation.
Canadian officials remain engaged in a last-minute diplomatic effort to avert the duties. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been spearheading the campaign, recently sending a video highlighting Canada’s border security efforts to Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary.
LeBlanc’s office confirmed that the three-minute video was sent via text to Lutnick on Wednesday evening, following his Senate confirmation hearing. Canadian officials hope this outreach will help sway key decision-makers within the U.S. administration before the tariffs take effect.