Canada following ‘very closely’ as Trump vows copper, pharma tariffs: Joly

The Canadian government hasn’t yet seen an executive order on the tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump vowed against copper and pharmaceutical imports, Industry Minister Melanie Joly says.

But Canadian officials in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa are following the vows “very closely,” she said, staying tight-lipped on any details of ongoing trade talks.

“Every single journalist in the country wants to have more information about the negotiations, and my answer is always the same. We will let the prime minister do the negotiation, supported of course by our negotiator-in-chief back in Washington, Kirsten Holman, and we will not negotiate in public.”

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The United States plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper imports, Trump said on Tuesday.

He also said the plan is to impose a 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals.

However, he did not provide details about those latest promised tariffs.

Joly said the government would work to support workers and companies affected by tariffs on the steel, aluminum and auto industries.

“My job right now is to make sure that in the context of this trade war, I’m supporting the front lines of this trade war, which are the workers and the companies affected by the unjustifiable and unjustified tariffs,” she said.

The target date for a new Canada-U.S. trade and security deal is less than two weeks away.