The leader of one of Canada’s biggest political parties has suggested imposing a 100 per cent trade tariff on Tesla to “
Since Trump became president this year, the relationship between Canada and the USA has soured somewhat thanks to his talk of merging the two nations and making Canada a 51st state.
This was followed by Trump imposing trade tariffs on imports from the US’s northerly neighbour, although this has been put on hold after Canada seemingly agreed to do something they were already doing.
Now, politician Jagmeet Singh, who is the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, has suggested the nation should hit back at Trump and his right-hand man Elon Musk by slapping a 100 per cent tariff on Tesla.
Speaking to CNN, Singh said he believed in being “good neighbours” to the US, but said he also “firmly” thinks that Trump “only understands force.”
He continued: “He’s acted as a bully in many circumstances and now he’s acting as an economic bully. The only language bullies understand is the language of strength, so we have to show we’re ready to fight back.”
When asked what this “fighting back” would entail, Singh confirmed if the NDP were in power they would hit back at the US with reciprocal tariffs, including a “100 per cent tariff on Tesla, directly targeting Elon Musk.”
“Elon Musk is touting this idea of the 51st state, so let’s hit back at Elon Musk,” he said.
You can watch the video below.
Singh has made this a party policy, telling reporters on Monday: “Elon Musk has been very loud. Very vocal attacking our country. We’re not going to let that stand. So if you are going to take a shot at us, we’re going to fight back.
“So Elon Musk thinks he can tweet off whatever he wants. Yeah, we’re going to put a tariff on him. I want that to be something that impacts him.”
Canada already has a 100 per cent tariff in place on electric vehicles from China.
The NDP are the fourth largest party in Canada’s House of Commons. The country will go to the polls in October this year after current prime minister Justin Trudeau announced he was resigning earlier this year.
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