Canada ’will do whatever it takes’ to counter Trump’s tariff threat, Carney tells premiers

Some premiers eager to retaliate if called upon by prime minister

Prime Minister Mark Carney said all options are on the table if a deal isn't reached by the time the new U.S. tariffs are set to kick in.

Photo: La Presse canadienne / Darren Calabrese

Catharine Tunney (new window) · CBC News

Prime Minister Mark Carney says retaliatory measures are being considered if his government can't reach a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump before his new tariffs take effect.

Everything is on the table if there's no agreement, depending on the outcome of the negotiations, Carney told reporters following a meeting with the 13 premiers in Charlottetown.

Their face-to-face follows a threat earlier this week from the White House to slap 50 per cent tariffs on billions (new window) of dollars' worth of Canadian imports come Aug. 19.

If these tariffs or other measures come into force, there's a full range of things that we can do, said Carney.

WATCH | Carney on the 'opportunity' of the next few weeks:

However, the prime minister wouldn't say what reprisals are in his back pocket, saying it would be counterproductive to talk retaliation with negotiations underway.

Carney said he sees Trump's latest deadline as both an opportunity to reach an overarching trade deal and a pressure tactic.

There's a level of engagement and breadth of engagement that that reflects the seriousness of the trade relationship, he said.

The question of retribution has been a pressure point during the provincial and territorial leaders' annual summer get-together this week. The agenda was uprooted when the White House announced the new tariffs, calling them a response to what it sees as Canadian discrimination against American motor vehicles, dairy and alcohol.

WATCH | Carney responds to U.S. tariffs:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been advocating for a more aggressive approach (new window), including withholding Canada's potash and oil to dismantle the United States.

It's very hard to deal with President Trump when he changes his mind every single day, said Ford.

One day, the prime minister is with him side by side, and the next thing you know, President Trump turns on him like a rabid dog.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said before the meeting with Carney that he was looking for more details about what measures the federal government is looking at if talks sour.

Trump's tariffs are dumb and they make life more difficult for Americans, he said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said his province is ready to act if called upon, suggesting U.S. access to Canada's minerals and metals could be in play.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith crosses her fingers while speaking with Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, centre, and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt prior to meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Charlottetown on Thursday July 23, 2026.

Photo: The Canadian Press / Darren Calabrese

If the prime minister calls British Columbia and says he needs support with some big sticks to have conversations at the table, then we will be there, he said during a news conference on Wednesday with his counterparts.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she doesn't believe in retaliatory tariffs, especially when it comes to oil.

She struck a positive tone ahead of Thursday's first ministers' meeting, saying she hopes the outstanding tariffs — including those on the auto, steel, aluminum and softwood industries — can also be dealt with in the coming weeks.

I think this is a window — this month that we have, or 28 days — to sharpen the pencils and sharpen the focus, she said.

Despite some of the disagreements emerging about how to respond, the premiers have been emphatic that they are united in a Team Canada approach to the trade war.

Carney didn't pass up an opportunity to use Charlottetown's history as the gathering spot for the Fathers of Confederation to make that point, recalling a time when "trade barriers were holding back economic growth, major infrastructure projects increasingly required co-operation across jurisdictions and the threat of American invasion loomed large.

"Plus ça change,he said to the premiers. What the Fathers of our Confederation suspected then, we know acutely today: that our unity is our greatest strength, and that our destiny is in our hands."

The premiers, in a joint communiqué Wednesday, urged the Carney government to maintain a clear, timely consultation process with provinces and territories during negotiations.