The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/03/04 at 16:00 EST

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/03/04 at 16:00 EST

What do you see when you look around? Lively cities, growing neighborhoods, things that connect us. For those into skilled trades, it's a world they helped create. Discover more than 300 careers, paid apprenticeships, and the unmatched feeling of saying, I made that. Learn more at Canada.ca slash skilled trades. A message from the government of Canada. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Tom Harrington.

Now I want to speak directly to one specific American, Donald. The Prime Minister speaking to the U.S. President directly during his news conference in Ottawa this morning. Justin Trudeau spoke shortly after 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports went into effect. Canada wasted no time responding. Levees on $30 billion in U.S. goods are now in place. That will rise to cover another $120 billion in American imports in three weeks. Trudeau saved some of his most pointed words when addressing the American president. Now it's not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you're a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.

you're a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do." Trudeau also spoke directly to the Canadian people. He says the trade war now underway is going to be tough, but adds Canadians will pull together because that's what we do. Provincial leaders are joining in on Ottawa's retaliation to the tariffs. Premiers have been announcing their own strategies. As Guabino Adoro reports, they range from taking direct action against the U.S. to looking for new buyers for their goods. Today our province and our entire country faces a reality that we haven't seen before. New Brunswick's Premier Susan Holt speaking about how the government will support the province's residents. Among the measures, they are launching a Made in New Brunswick campaign to make it

easier to find local items. Newfoundland and Labrador and B.C. say they are looking to send their goods to new markets. We need to be ready to escalate using every tool in our toolkit. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is threatening a 25% surcharge on power sent to several U.S. states and taking U.S. alcohol off shelves at the province's distributor. Manitoba, another of several provinces, targeting American booze. Quebec's government says it has a new program called Frontiers.

It will help provide loans to help businesses weather the economic storm in the short term. Premiers across the country are calling on Ottawa to reduce the interprovincial trade barriers, saying it will develop the nation's economy. Kubino Duro, CBC News, Montreal. The White House meantime is sticking to its guns. President Donald Trump is issuing new warnings this afternoon. He's threatening to slap even more tariffs on Canadian goods. Richard Madden reports.

The president's going to have conversations with the Canadians. Vice President JD Vance justifying the punishing new tariffs by blaming Canada for failing to stop fentanyl flowing across the border. The Canadians have not been serious about stopping the drug trade. While US stats show less than 1% of fentanyl comes to the northern border, the Trump administration is using it as leverage to slap 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico. And those costs will likely be passed on to American consumers. Brian Cornell is the CEO of retail giant Target.

He says seasonal goods from Mexico, like fruits and vegetables, will see price increases immediately. We'll try to protect pricing, but the consumer will likely see price increases over the next couple of days. President Trump is now threatening to slap even more tariffs on Canadian goods and is expected to lay out his tariff agenda in a speech before Congress tonight. Richard Madden, CBC News, Washington. And CBC Radio will have live coverage of that speech with the Canadian context and analysis you need. Join your world tonight's Susan Bonner and as it happens Neil Cooksell for a CBC News special.

It's start at 9 Eastern on CBC Radio, SiriusXM and the CBC News app. In other news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says it is time to make things right. In his nightly address, Zelensky said no one wants an endless war. Earlier today, he struck a remorseful tone in a lengthy post on X. He admits last week's meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office did not go the way it was supposed to. And he says both leaders have to find the power to move forward. Zelensky's statement comes hours after the U.S. suspended its military

aid to Ukraine. And that is Your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Tom Harrington. Thanks for listening.