Mélanie Joly Foreign Minister

Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told the BBC that she believes that Canada can win the commercial war, which was caused by a series of tariffs ordered by the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

“We are the largest customer in the United States,” Joly told the World BBC weekend program. “We buy more from Americans than in China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France combined.”

Joly said tariffs and price increase are a priority for Canadians, since voters prepare to go to the polls to choose a new prime minister at the end of this year.

The president of the United States has imposed 25% tariffs on the imports of steel and aluminum in Canada. Trump has also promised to impose a wide range of “reciprocal” rates on April 2.

Joly said that because US and Canadian economies are so intertwined, “we have the greatest influence in the world when it comes to the United States.”

He pointed out that not only Canadians feel the pain of tariffs, but also “working Americans.”

But Joly said that Americans could be the most successful to urge the end of the commercial war.

“We believe that, ultimately, the only ones who can help us win this war … are the Americans themselves because they are the ones who can send a message to their legislators,” he told the BBC.

“We can win the hearts and minds of the Americans, because they are ultimately those who pay for this,” he added, noting that both US and Canadian works are at risk due to tariffs.

Trump has promised to impose more rates from Canada and other countries around the world, on April 2, calling these “El Grande” tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to impose reciprocal tariffs if Trump’s tariff threats come true.

A week and forth will come to the head among American countries.

The frustration for the commercial war has led some Canadians to start protesting.

In Toronto on Saturday, Canadians are holding a protest of “elbows” against tariffs.

The phrase, used in the hockey to describe defending or fighting, has been reused as a slogan in Canada’s struggle against US tariffs, and Trump’s declared desire to make Canada the 51st state of the United States.

In the BBC World Service Weekend interview, Joly was also asked about the next federal elections. The reports suggest that Prime Minister Carney could Call for a quick choice soon.

She said that the Liberal Party is “very interested” to make sure that Canadians give it “a clear mandate” to deal with Trump and the threat of tariffs.

Joly said the Canadians are “worried” about what is happening in the White House and are looking for a prime minister that has “strong values.”

The race will probably be reduced to the choice between Carney and conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

Tariffs are a central part of Trump’s general economic vision.

He says that tariffs will boost the manufacture of the United States and protect jobs, increase tax revenues and increase the national economy.

It also wants to restore the United States trade balance with its foreign partners, which reduces the gap between how much imports and exports from the United States to individual countries.

But he has refused to rule out the perspective of a recession as a result of its commercial policies, which sent us to actions abruptly in the days before metal rates.

The United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, later said the tariffs “worth it”, even if they led to an economic recession.

The Trump tariffs initially attacked goods from China, Mexico and Canada.

These represented more than 40% of imports in the US. In 2024.

But Trump has accused the three countries of not doing enough to end the flow of illegal migrants and drugs such as fentanyl in the United States.

The three countries have rejected accusations.