Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, has dismissed incoming US President Donald Trump’s recent assertion that America has no need for its northern neighbour as “plainly untrue.”
Wilkinson, who is widely speculated to be a potential successor to Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, underscored Canada’s essential role as a key supplier of resources for which the US has limited alternatives, such as crude oil, uranium, potash, and critical minerals.
The United States gains significant economic benefits from Canada,” Wilkinson stated during an interview with CTV News. He pointed out that US refineries, especially those in the Midwest, depend heavily on Canadian heavy crude oil. Substitutes, such as Venezuelan crude, come with logistical and geopolitical challenges, while Canada’s supply of critical minerals and uranium helps prevent US reliance on nations like China or Russia.
Canada also provides potash, essential for American agriculture, and hydropower to states such as New York and Massachusetts. “There is no substitute,” Wilkinson stressed, highlighting the profound economic interdependence between the two countries.
The minister underscored the vital importance of Canadian resources in bolstering the US energy and defence sectors. He noted that American nuclear plants are heavily dependent on Canadian uranium, and the US Department of Defense has invested in Canadian projects to reduce reliance on Chinese supplies of critical minerals, such as cobalt and graphite.
Wilkinson also disclosed that Canada is ready to implement strong retaliatory actions if the US enforces tariffs, including an export tax on Canadian energy or targeted duties on American products.
Ready to act
According to CBC News, Canadian officials are circulating a list of US-made goods that could be subject to retaliatory tariffs. The list reportedly includes items such as American steel products, ceramics, and Florida orange juice.
“This list will be strategically designed to inflict maximum economic pain in the US, creating pressure on President Trump to reverse [the tariffs],” Wilkinson stated.
The United States derives enormous economic value from Canada,”
Jonathan Wilkinson
Trump has proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, citing trade imbalances. Reports indicate that commodities like oil and uranium may be exempt, with a focus instead on manufacturing sectors. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, and aluminum—key to Ontario and Quebec, where a significant portion of Canadians reside—are considered more vulnerable to such tariffs.
Although Parliament is suspended until March 24 following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement, the federal government retains the power to impose retaliatory tariffs without new legislation. A similar strategy was employed in 2018 during Trump’s first term amid a trade dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs.
