We Didn’t Choose This Trade War, But We Will Choose How Quebec Responds”: Canada Pushes Back Against Trump’s Tariffs
Montreal —written by Nour Sobhy
“We didn’t choose this trade war, but we will choose how Quebec responds to it.”
With these firm words, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette addressed the latest escalation in the trade dispute with the United States, stressing that her government’s priority is to protect Quebec’s economy, businesses and workers from the impact of new U.S. tariffs.
Quebec’s response comes as the federal government also takes a tougher position. Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced that Canada will match U.S. tariffs “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”
Starting September 8, Canada will impose counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% or 50% on approximately $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, marking a significant escalation in the trade confrontation between the two countries.
Quebec is expected to be particularly affected. According to the provincial government, the new tariffs impact approximately $7.7 billion in Quebec exports to the United States, representing more than 9% of the province’s exports to the U.S. market.
Some Quebec businesses have already reported losing contracts, raising concerns about production slowdowns, reduced working hours and potential job losses.
The Quebec government says it will support affected businesses and workers while encouraging consumers to buy Quebec-made products as a direct way to strengthen the provincial economy.
The message from Quebec is clear: this trade war was not its choice, but how Quebec responds to it will be.For a more newspaper-style headline, I’d use: “Dollar for Dollar, Tariff for Tariff: Canada and Quebec Push Back Against Trump’s Trade War.”
