Canada FM Melanie Joly opts out of leadership race, cites tariff threats from Trump

Her announcement follows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's declaration on Monday that he would resign as leader of the Liberal Party and as Prime Minister as soon as a new candidate is found for the post. He also said that the Canadian Parliament would be prorogued or suspended until March 24.

Sharing a letter on X, Joly wrote, "Over the past week, I have spoken with dozens of friends, colleagues and close advisors; many of whom have encouraged me to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. While I know I am ready to become the first woman to lead the Liberal Party of Canada, I must also recognise that the current international situation, especially the unjustified threat of tariffs and other economic pressures from the President-elect of the United States, requires a firm and urgent response. This is happening now."

The letter added, "As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I must dedicate every minute of my time and all my energy to defending the interests of Canadians. Which is exactly what I am doing and will continue to do."

Meanwhile, Canada is preparing to retaliate with an exhaustive list of tariffs on American goods if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plans to add a steep 25 per cent import tax on Canadian goods, people familiar with the matter told CNN.

Canadian officials are working on a list of dozens of American products that the United States exports to Canada, targeting items that both send a political message and inflict a reasonable amount of economic damage, two sources said.

According to CNN, Canada is the United States' largest trading partner. The United States imported USD 419 billion worth of Canadian goods in 2023. Canada is also the largest source of foreign oil into the United States. (ANI)