Trump 'attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses', says Canada's next prime minister

Ottawa -- Mark Carney, who won the election on Sunday to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada's next prime minister, said US President Donald Trump is "attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses."

In his victory speech, Carney slammed Trump for his "unjustified tariffs" on Canada and repeated remarks about annexing the country.

"We can't let him succeed," Carney said, vowing to keep tariffs on US imports "until the Americans show us respect".

On Feb 1, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25 percent tariff on products imported from Mexico and Canada, with a 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian energy products. On Feb 3, Trump announced a 30-day delay in implementing the tariffs on both countries and continued negotiations. According to this decision, the relevant tariff measures took effect on March 4.

On the very day the tariffs took effect, the Canadian government hit back with initial tariffs on 30 billion Canadian dollars ($21 billion) worth of US goods, with the promise to add another 125 billion Canadian dollars (about $87 billion) in 21 days.

"We didn't ask for this fight. But Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves," he added, promising to maintain the planned retaliatory tariffs on the United States.

"The Americans, they should make no mistake," he said. "In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win."

In response to Trump's claim to make Canada the 51st US state, Carney said, "Canada will never ever be part of America in any way, shape or form."

"The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country," he said. "These are dark days, dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust."

During a farewell address to his Liberal Party on Sunday, Trudeau warned that Canada faces an "existential challenge" and an "economic crisis" from the United States.