Foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly says Canada can win trade war with US

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

She noted it is not just Canadians feeling the pain from tariffs, but “hardworking Americans” too.

But Joly said it could be Americans who are the most successful in urging an end to the trade war.

“We think that ultimately the only ones that will be able to help us win this war… are the Americans themselves because they’re the ones that can send a message to their lawmakers,” she told the BBC.

“We can win the hearts and minds of Americans, because ultimately they’re the ones paying for this” she added, noting that both American and Canadian jobs are at risk because of the tariffs.

Trump has vowed to impose further tariffs Canada, and other countries around the world, on 2 April – calling these tariffs “the big one”.

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

It will bring to head a weeks-long back and forth between the North American countries.