Canada shouldn't 'bend the knee' to Trump after tariffs: Windsor, Ont., mayor

CBC

15 hours ago

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Drew Dilkens says Canada is not some "junior partner" in its political dealings with the U.S.
Dilkens is the border-city mayor in Windsor, Ont., which represents a large portion of the country's auto manufacturing.
He says he supports Prime Minister Mark Carney and is hopeful a deal can be reached.
This follows an overnight executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration that tariffs were being increased to 35 per cent on Canadian goods.
"The U.S. application of CUSMA means that the U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of its lowest for all of its trading partners," Carney said in a statement. "Other sectors of our economy — including lumber, steel, aluminum and automobiles — are, however, heavily impacted by U.S. duties and tariffs."
Dilkens says Trump is trying to bring all of Canada — and certainly the country's auto capital — to its knees.
"Do not bend the knee," he said. "We will get through this. We have been through dark times before. We have gone through the peaks and valleys that we see in manufacturing and automotive from time to time."
Dilkens says although the people in the Windsor region don't want to see another financial collapse, he's also confident the pathway forward is one where everyone can live well and prosper.
"These are things we can't control, and that's part of the problem here. These continued changes of tariff rates cause uncertainty. Uncertainty causes people to in my community to start saving for the rainy day and to put money aside."
WATCH | Live tariff coverage from CBC News:
Trump hikes tariffs: What's next for Canada?
3 hours ago
Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement overnight expressing disappointment with U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs to 35 per cent on items not covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. The move has raised questions about what's next for the Canadian economy as these increasingly broad tariffs reshape global trade.
Dilkens says pressure is starting to rise across the border in the U.S., and that's why Trump is talking about giving Americans rebate cheques because of the tariffs.
"He's trying to buy some political time here. We need the time to find the pathway that's going to allow everyone to continue making great vehicles in all three countries, because we've been doing a great job for decades now, and we've proven that the free trade agreements that we have in place have worked to the benefit and the success of all three countries."