REGINA - The new US President Donald Trump takes the oath of office today, but all eyes from north of the border will be on his executive orders.
Major fears have been sparked among Canadian leaders in the last several weeks that Trump might follow through on his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on exports from Canada. Trump has also posted on social media his plans for an “External Revenue Service” to collect revenue through tariffs on other countries
Today it’s expected President Trump will be signing 100, or more, executive orders and the expectation is this will start happening around noon Saskatchewan time. Should tariffs be imposed, it would come in one of those executive orders.
But in the various leaks coming from the White House in the past 24 hours about what those orders would be, tariffs on Canada have been conspicuously absent. It also wasn’t mentioned by Trump during a speech at his “victory rally” in Washington on Sunday.
Also, there are reports now from the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere that tariffs on Canada will not be included today.
It is expected, however, from various sources that Trump will issue several other Executive Orders focused on border security, an issue that he had identified when he threatened tariffs on Canada earlier.
Last week, Premier Scott Moe announced the Saskatchewan Border Security Plan to beef up Saskatchewan’s own efforts at the border. Included in that plan is the redeployment of 16 provincial law enforcement officers from the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, the Conservation Officer Service, as well as canine handler teams, to the border to do high-visibility patrols.
As well, Moe and other provincial premiers met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa last Wednesday to discuss a response to the Trump tariff threat. But Alberta Premier Danielle Smith did not sign on to the communique from the First Ministers, out of concerns that Canada was continuing to float the idea of cutting off energy supplies to the US as a response.
In Saskatchewan, Opposition Leader Carla Beck has continued to call for a “team Saskatchewan” approach, pledging her cooperation and a united stance in addressing the Trump tariff threat.
Trump is expected to take the oath of office at 11 a.m. Saskatchewan time.
