Canada-U.S. relations may never recover from Trump’s tariffs, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow appears on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on March 28, 2025. (MSNBC)

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is back on the airwaves south of the border and admits that she “can’t really tell” if Canada-U.S. relations will ever recover from President Donald Trump’s trade war.

“That’s what’s a bit scary about it,” Chow told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, host of “Morning Joe,” and other guests on the panel Friday when asked if the cross-border relationship has entered “a different era” during Trump’s second term.

“I think the mutual feelings of Americans and Canadians, where they like each other, that will continue. But in terms of government to government, is there going to be that trust anymore? I’m not sure. It depends on what happens in these four years.”

Chow is in Washington, D.C. for a trilateral trade summit hosted by the United States Conference of Mayors to discuss Trump’s tariffs, including a new 25 per cent tax on imported automobiles which will be collected starting April 3.

Premier Doug Ford indicated Thursday that he spoke with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the auto tax and his office said that any car made up of at least 50 per cent U.S. parts would not be subject to the duty.

Trump has also threatened to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on April 2, calling next Wednesday “Liberation Day” for American trade, in addition to tariffs on some Canadian and Mexican goods covered by the USMCA free trade agreement that were previously delayed.

Canada has already responded to Trump’s existing tariffs to the tune of $60 billion, including $30 billion on American steel and aluminum products and $30 billion on U.S. goods like orange juice, peanut butter, wine and spirits.

Canadian officials have said that the retaliatory measures will remain in place until the U.S. lifts its tariffs. Prime Minister Carney says the federal response to the auto tax will be announced next week.

For Toronto’s part, Chow has vowed to “fight back” against the levies and on Wednesday city council approved her economic action plan to respond, including amending the city’s procurement policy to prioritize Canadian suppliers and limit reliance on U.S.-based goods.

As part of the plan, only Canadian companies will be permitted to bid on city construction projects worth less than $8.8 million. Contracts for goods and services under $353,300 will also be reserved for Canadian suppliers.

“We’re going to make our own things, buy our own goods, and once you establish that, you feel, well, we don’t need to depend on American anymore,” Chow told Scarborough, who emphasized how much Americans “love” Canadians.

Chow’s comments echo those made by Carney after the auto tariffs were first announced Wednesday, when he said that the decades-old relationship between the U.S. and Canada was “over.”

The Toronto mayor was also interviewed on CNN Friday morning, her second appearance on the American network this month, and pointed to Trump’s “unpredictable” nature as a factor in the current shaky cross-border relationship.

“Right now, things are so unpredictable. One day it’s this and the other day it’s that. How could you build a relationship when there’s no trust?” she told CNN’s Kate Bolduan.

“It is over, yes. But Americans and Canadians are still very, very close.”