Justin Trudeau - latest: Canadian prime minister ‘ready to resign’ as early as today over Trump tariff row
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Pressure is growing on Canada’s leader from within his Liberal Party over his handling of US president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs. Justin Trudeau is ready to resign as Canadian prime minister and could do so as early as today, according to reports.
![[Mr Trudeau is at odds with US president-elect Donald Trump, who will take office later this month]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/27/03/CANAD%C3%81-EEUU-ARANCELES_24446.jpg)
The 53-year-old may step down after nine years in office, amid growing pressure from his colleagues in the governing Liberal Party as it trails significantly behind the opposition Conservatives in the polls. It is not clear exactly when he would announce his resignation and Mr Trudeau is believed to have not reached a final decision, sources told The Globe and Mail and Reuters, but it is likely to happen before an emergency meeting for his Liberal party on Wednesday.
The row inside Mr Trudeau’s party comes after US president-elect Donald Trump announced a proposal to introduce 25 per cent tariffs on the country. Chrystina Freeland unexpectedly stepped down as Canada’s deputy prime minister in mid-December, citing differences with Mr Trudeau on how to approach Mr Trump’s presidency and tariff proposals.
Canada is already due to hold a general election by the end of October this year. It is unclear whether Mr Trudeau, who was elected into office in 2015 two years after taking the reins of the Liberal Party, would stay on until then. In November, US president-elect Donald Trump took to social media to announce a unilateral batch of tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
