Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Industry, Registrar General of Canada, and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions since May, was asked at a press conference this week about U.S. President Donald Trump‘s decision to levy 35% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Joly said, “What I want to emphasize today, as Minister in charge of industries and the economy, is we are not alone in this world. We need to be closer to our allies…It’s been only 15 days since the Prime Minister signed an agreement with the EU to make sure that not only, of course that we have a free trade agreement, but that we are very closely aligned on the fence and on all of our industrial policies.”
She added: “And we’re trying to make sure that ultimately, while the U.S. is becoming weaker, we will become stronger and we will diversify and turn ourselves towards Europe.”
Melanie Joly responds to President Trump’s announcement that 35% tariffs will be imposed on Canadian goods on August 1st.
“While the U.S. is becoming weaker, we will become stronger and we will diversify and turn ourselves towards Europe,” she says. pic.twitter.com/gaXzu0GoiT
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 11, 2025
Joly was asked why the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, adjusted for the Trump-imposed August 1 negotiations deadline rather than respond with more counter-tariffs as originally planned.
[NOTE: Politico reports that “Mark Carney’s government was preparing to double its countertariffs on U.S. metals on July 21 — to 50 percent from 25 — but Trump’s letter has moved the prime minister off that target.”]
Joly replied that negotiations will continue and mentioned that “Canada is the only country on earth — along with China — that has imposed so many counter-tariffs. So we already have had a very strong response and we want to make sure that while we are putting pressure on the American administration that at the same time, we’re protecting jobs while creating jobs.”
[NOTE: In addition to the “blanket 35% tariff” threat on items outside what’s in the current USMCA deal (negotiated during Trump’s first term), Trump doubled tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent in June.]
Below is Joly at a groundbreaking event for Lufthansa Technik, which according to the Minister is “expanding its footprint in partnership with WestJet — creating hundreds of good-paying jobs.”
Big news for Calgary and Canada’s aerospace sector: Lufthansa Technik is expanding its footprint in partnership with WestJet — creating hundreds of good-paying jobs.
When you bet on Canada, you bet smart. pic.twitter.com/l2IJsNWal2
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) June 25, 2025
Joly concluded the press conference by adding: “Economic diplomacy is more important than ever, that’s why we need to make sure that, while the U.S. is closing its market and really taking its own path regarding protectionism, that we as a stable and democratic country continue to have open markets including with the EU.”