Trudeau says call with Trump was ‘colourful’ and he wants all tariffs lifted

OTTAWA — One day after he had what he describes as a “colourful call” with U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to insist the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada must be dropped.

Speaking at an unrelated announcement in Ottawa, Trudeau says Canada will stand firm as long as the “unjustified” tariffs remain in place.

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The prime minister says he agrees with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly’s description of the back-and-forth with the Trump administration as “psychodrama.”

Trump took to social media yesterday to say Canada’s efforts to stop fentanyl from crossing the border have not been strong enough, and to claim that Trudeau is using the trade war to stay in power.

Trudeau says he will not stay on as prime minister to continue negotiations with the U.S. during the federal election, adding it’s up to Canadians to decide how the country should be governed in the coming years.

Joly said Wednesday the tariffs are “completely unjustified” and the Trump administration’s claim that they’re linked to fentanyl crossing the border is a “bogus argument.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press