Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has officially stepped down from his position amid a trade war with the United States.
Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney is expected to replace Trudeau.
#LIVE: Justin Trudeau has resigned as Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney taking overhttps://t.co/SuBLBpZIYF
— CTV News (@CTVNews) March 14, 2025
Trudeau announced his intention to resign early in January as polling showed that his party would suffer significant losses to the Conservative Party if he remained as prime minister.
It happened!!
— Syed Ahmed Raza (@crickwick2k21) January 6, 2025
JUSTIN TRUDEAU RESIGNS!!pic.twitter.com/63iOZjz4O0
Carney was elected as Trudeau’s replacement on Sunday, according to The Independent.
Carney, who will be sworn in as Trudeau’s successor in the coming days, was on Sunday night elected as Canada’s new prime minister by the members of the Liberal Party and promised to keep taking the fight to Trump. Winning with with 85.9 per cent of the votes cast by 150,000 members, Carney hit out at Trump for “attacking Canadian families” and wanting to “destroy the Canadian way of life”, describing the US president’s tariffs and threats as the “greatest crisis of our lifetime”.
BREAKING: Justin Trudeau has formally stepped down as Canada’s Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/AY4W1XjXvG
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 14, 2025
In the last days of his stint as prime minister, Trudeau traded barbs with President Donald Trump over tariffs, which gave a slight bump to his popularity in Canada. During a televised speech last week, he said “It’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you are a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do,” referring to Trump’s decision to levy a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Canada.
Carney will have his hands full as Canada’s next leader. He is facing a prolonged trade war with the United States and an American president who has repeatedly indicated his desire to essentially annex the country. While Trump might not actually be serious about such a move, it illustrates the president’s more pugilistic approach to trade.
Representatives from both nations met earlier this week after Ontario threatened to place a 25 percent surcharge on electricity provided to three U.S. states. Trump countered by announcing he would place an additional 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, upping the percentage to 50 percent.
Ontario’s premier eventually backed down, but it is clear this trade war is far from over.
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