Trump signals tariffs may be coming Feb. 1

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his administration could move ahead with with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports on Feb. 1.

He delivered the deadline on Monday evening at the White House as he signed a stack of unrelated executive orders. The February date comes after Trump officials, speaking anonymously, suggested to reporters that the Republican president would only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China.

An executive order from the president late Monday ordering the studies sets an April 1 deadline for the reports -- well after his suggestion that tariffs will happen in February. Federal and provincial officials in Washington were relieved that tariffs on Canadian goods were not part of Trump's inaugural speech. But many said Canada can't afford to be complacent ahead of what could be a brutal hit to the economy.