Canadian Conservative Pushes for No Tariffs as Trump's 'Liberation Day' Looms

OTTAWA - With President Donald Trump declaring Wednesday as "Liberation Day" for his reciprocal tariffs, the political temperature in Canada is heating up. Maxime Bernier, leader of the right-wing People’s Party of Canada (PPC), is calling for bold action: eliminating all Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods.

Bernier, a former foreign affairs minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, argued that retaliatory tariffs imposed by the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau in response to Trump’s 25% tariffs had backfired. "They’re not hurting Americans—they’re hurting Canadians," Bernier said during an interview from Halifax. He believes now is the time for Canada to pursue a zero-tariff policy with the U.S., a move he describes as the "real reciprocal response."

His comments come as new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently succeeded Trudeau, announced plans to impose counter-tariffs in response to Trump's latest trade measures. Carney, elected just weeks ago, stated that Canada and the U.S. would negotiate a new economic and security relationship following the upcoming general election.

But Bernier didn’t hold back, accusing Carney and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre of posturing as "fake patriots" by engaging in what he called a "dollar-for-dollar trade war." According to Bernier, Canada simply can’t win a trade war with its southern neighbor. "The Americans are 10 times bigger than us. Retaliation will only lead to a recession in Canada," he warned.

On the other side of the debate, former Conservative minister Tony Clement acknowledged that removing tariffs might make economic sense but doubted whether Canadians were ready for such a move. "The mood of the people is outrage," Clement said, noting that public anger toward Trump’s tariffs—and what many see as bullying tactics—was at an all-time high.

Clement added that eliminating tariffs without reciprocal action from the U.S. could be perceived as "showing weakness to a bully." He attributed the public’s distrust of Trump to his unpredictable policy shifts, further complicating any prospective negotiations.

Bernier, however, remains undeterred, advocating for broader economic reforms in Canada. His PPC platform includes lowering corporate taxes, promoting internal trade, and developing the oil and gas sector. He also took aim at Canada’s supply management system for dairy, poultry, and eggs, calling it a "communist system" that inflates prices for Canadian consumers.

The issue of supply management has long been a sticking point in U.S.-Canada trade relations. During the renegotiation of NAFTA, which resulted in the USMCA, Trump sought to dismantle Canada’s system, which imposes steep tariffs—up to 300%—on U.S. dairy and poultry products beyond agreed quotas. Bernier believes it’s time to put everything on the table and renegotiate these terms before the USMCA’s scheduled review next year.

Meanwhile, Conservative strategist Yaroslav Baran emphasized that under the USMCA, trade between Canada and the U.S. is meant to be largely tariff-free, save for certain exceptions like dairy and lumber. But he admitted that achieving a completely tariff-free relationship would be politically challenging as long as Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods remain in place.

Whether Bernier’s vision of a zero-tariff future gains traction or not, one thing is clear: the escalating trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. are forcing Canadian leaders to make tough choices—and fast.