Trump won’t impose tariffs immediately, reports suggest

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Published: January 20, 2025

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Donald Trump delivers his inauguration speech while outgoing president Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris are seated to his left.

Glacier FarmMedia – U.S. president-elect Donald Trump will not impose threatened tariffs on Canadian goods immediately, according to several U.S. reports.

The news came within hours of Trump being sworn in as 47th President of the United States.

According to a Reuters report, an unnamed Trump official confirmed the president will not impose tariffs immediately upon taking office and will instead issue a memo to “direct agencies to investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations.”

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From left New Brunswick agriculture minister Pat Finnigan, PEI minister Bloyce Thompson, Alberta minister RJ Sigurdson, Ontario minister Trevor Jones, Manitoba minister Ron Kostyshyn, federal minister Heath MacDonald, BC minister Lana Popham, Sask minister Daryl Harrison, Nova Scotia Greg Morrow and John Streicker from Yukon.

Agriculture ministers commit to enhancing competitiveness

Canadian ag ministers said they want to ensure farmers, ranchers and processors are competitive through ongoing regulatory reform and business risk management programs that work.

The official said the memo would single out China, Canada and Mexico for scrutiny but won’t announce new tariffs.

Trump’s tariffs have been a source of anxiety for Canadian producers since he first threatened them in November.

A lack of day-one tariffs delays the possibility of a U.S.-Canada trade war. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed last week the federal government would not rule out a dollar-for-dollar response.

About the author

Jonah Grignon

Jonah Grignon

Reporter

Jonah Grignon is a reporter with GFM based in Ottawa, where he covers federal politics in agriculture. Jonah graduated from Carleton University’s school of journalism in 2024 and started working full-time with GFM in Fall 2024, after starting as an intern in 2023. Jonah has written for publications like The Hill Times, Maisonneuve and Canada’s History. He has also created podcasts for Carleton’s student newspaper The Charlatan, Canada’s History and Farm Radio International in Ghana.

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