Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette warned of difficult times ahead and called on Quebecers and municipalities to pivot away from American businesses and support the local economy, in a news conference Tuesday morning.
“Quebec will not back down in the face of Trump,” she said, describing the U.S. president as a bully. “In fact, we will use every tool available to the state to buy more Quebec-made products in order to protect our jobs, protect our economy and protect our workers.”
Fréchette, who is in the midst of a provincial election, announced new measures Monday evening to help the province cope with Canada’s counter-tariffs on several American products. They went into effect just after midnight.
The measures include giving Quebec-based companies an advantage in public tenders as well as steps to help them find new markets across Canada.
On Tuesday, she said the measures affect $1.5 billion in contracts over the next four months, adding that American businesses generally represent under 10 per cent of public contract bidders.
When asked if she feared further retaliation from President Donald Trump, she said that at this point she wouldn’t be surprised if there was, given how the last year has unfolded.
“We will still go forward because we need to strengthen our economy and to be united. And we are inviting everyone who can be part of that movement to answer the movement,” she said.
Bombardier shares dip after Trump’s U.S. access threats, as Ottawa’s counter-tariffs take effect
Tuesday morning, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. will consider imposing retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods as early as today.
Quebec ‘will not back down in the face of Trump,’ premier says
Fréchette said Canada’s counter-tariffs are expected to impact 8.8 per cent of the country’s imports, including five per cent of Quebec’s imports.
She said the impact on Quebec’s job market is still to be determined, adding that August alone saw 18,000 layoffs across the province.
“So, for sure that’s not dissociated from the tariff war,” she said in French on Tuesday.Â
Carney warns of tough times ahead in video message as retaliatory tariffs kick in
The premier also said federal rebates should effectively neutralize the counter-tariff burden on Canadian businesses. She called on the federal government to make sure those reimbursement processes are efficient, fast and easy to navigate.
She said there isn’t a meeting of the premiers planned in the coming days as far as she knows.
Fréchette stepped away from the campaign trail Monday to convene her cabinet and discuss Quebec’s strategy in the face of Canada’s retaliatory tariffs just before they came into force.
Quebec moves to protect supply chains, expand relief to more businesses as trade war intensifies
In the lead-up to that meeting, the Coalition Avenir Québec leader was accused by rival parties of using the tariff war to gain traction among voters. She addressed those claims on Tuesday.
“This is real life, and we need to face it, and we need to adjust our approach,” she said.
