Trudeau said Canada would, in response, put 25 percent tariffs on $20.5 billion worth of unspecified U.S. goods. China announced levies on U.S. food imports and halted the sale of Chinese goods to 15 American companies. In Mexico, there were calls for boycotts of U.S. companies and products.

The Realpolitik of U.S. trade policies and tariffs is driven by the fact that China is the top priority for U.S. national security and economic security in Cold War Two.

Canada will continue to engage with senior Trump administration officials about the tariffs the United States plans to impose on all Canadian imports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday. "Our goal is to get these tariffs - all tariffs - removed,