The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/04 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: February 4, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/04 at 06:00 EST

Are peanuts more precious than pretzels? Is glue more glorious than tape? Hi, I'm Steve Patterson, host of CBC's The Debaters, where Canada's top comedic minds make seemingly simple questions into something simply hilarious. Part stand-up, part game show, always fun, and our live audience picks the winner. You can find The Debaters on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts. From CBC News, it's the world this hour. I'm Joe Cummings. With Donald Trump pausing his threatened trade action on Canada, the next tariff battle for the White House is China.

And China is putting up a fight, threatening today to impose a wide range of tariffs and export controls if the Trump administration doesn't stand down. China is putting up a fight, threatening today to impose a wide range of tariffs and export controls if the Trump administration doesn't stand down. Yenna Li reports from Beijing. A 15% tax on U.S. coal, 10% on goods such as crude oil, farm equipment and pickup trucks. These are just some of the U.S. imports that face new Chinese tariffs. China also announced export curbs on five critical minerals, metals that are crucial to technology and innovation. Beijing

argues that this is just a response to Washington's actions as the US slapped an additional 10% tax on all Chinese goods first. Now, this situation doesn't have to lead to further escalation and further escalation. On the contrary, it appears both sides are actually entering a round of negotiations. These new tit-for-tat Chinese tariffs are set to start on February 10th. So there is some time and some space for discussion still. According to the White House, a call between Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping could take place in the coming days.

Yen-A-Lee for CBC News, Beijing. Meanwhile, here in Canada, the premiers are warning that even with the temporary reprieve from the Trump tariffs, they plan to stay ready to rejoin the fight if needed. Michelle Gassoub has more. Hours from what could have become an escalating trade war, Canada has bought some time. But with the uncertainty hanging overhead, some Canadian premiers aren't backing down, saying no matter what happens next, Canada needs to be prepared to fight back. These unilateral actions by the United States have changed our relationship for

the foreseeable future. Speaking in North Vancouver, BC Premier David Eby said he'll put on hold retaliatory measures that would have taken alcohol from Republican states off of BC shelves. 29 days from now, we'll see where we're at. That pause in retaliatory measures echoed by the premiers of Ontario and Manitoba. While calling down his own plan to cut off US alcohol, Quebec Premier François de Gaulle said Canada must become less dependent on the US. We have to be ready to all kind of scenarios with this guy. While the terror threat continues to hang over the economy there is a pause in the

escalation for now. Michelle Gossoub, CBC News, Vancouver. Still with the Trump administration it has finalized an agreement to send prisoners in American facilities to prisons in El Salvador. Here's U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after meeting with the president of El Salvador. Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting with the president of El Salvador. He has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country,

including those of U.S. citizenship and legal residence. The U.S. will be paying El Salvador to take the prisoners. Included in the agreement will be migrants who have been detained for entering the United States illegally. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government is taking steps to make it easier for companies to establish and develop critical mineral projects throughout the province. Taryn Grant explains. The natural resource potential that we have in this province is very, very significant.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says the doors are open to resource development. It is a shining light in the darkness of the last 40 years. John Whiteman is a prospector and geologist who has mineral claims all over Nova Scotia. He says the Premier's message is welcome, even if the details are not yet clear. But Whiteman says it's not the province that's usually the biggest barrier to opening a mine.

Money. It's always money. Whiteman is the majority owner of a lithium project that was making strides when lithium prices peaked in 2022. But by 2023, lithium prices had plummeted and the project was put on hold. Whiteman is still waiting for another shift in demand before restarting the exploration work. He's hopeful the province will streamline its permitting process so that when investors come knocking again, the project will be able to move quickly. Taryn Grant, CBC News, Halifax. And that is The World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.