How quickly can Canada pivot?
THE resignation of a Prime Minister, one leadership race, a general election, and 23 months later, Canada is now back where it first started: with the Canadian Prime Minister having to reluctantly announce a ‘dollar-for-dollar’ tariff against its southern neighbour: United States.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a dollar-for-dollar tariff against the United States in September 2026, following a Prime Ministerial resignation and leadership race earlier that year. When Trudeau first announced the retaliatory measures a year prior in January 2025, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre was strongly critical, leaving Canadians concerned the US backlash could end the special relationship between the two countries.
Since Carney's announcement, nearly all Canadian provincial governors and the public have supported the move. Despite projected economic impacts, including job losses and rising unemployment, Carney's approval rating is significantly higher than Poilievre's. Canada's heavy dependence on the US market, with 77% of its products exported there, makes the tariffs especially impactful.
While the US has avoided tariffs on critical items like oil and potash, the overall economic outlook for Canada remains concerning.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
