With just hours to go until US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office, Canadian officials say they still don’t know if he will follow through on his ongoing threat to impose punitive tariffs on Canadian goods.

“We’ve done a lot of good advocacy, but we’re also now ready to respond to whatever decision (Trump) makes, assuming it comes through,” Treasury Secretary Dominic LeBlanc said during an interview with Rosemary Barton live which aired on Sunday.

Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods – a move that experts and lawmakers have warned against it would be disastrous for the Canadian economy.

Canadian officials forced Trump to step down. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump at the end of November. Ontario has threatened to cut off energy export. Now, Canada has prepared counter-tariffs this would apply to $37 billion in goods that would be less damaging to the Canadian economy.

Asked if there was any indication of Trump’s tariff plan, LeBlanc said Canadian officials had spoken with Republican senators and the president-elect’s cabinet secretaries, but the situation was still unclear.

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CBC Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton talks to Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc about how Canada is preparing for potential tariffs from the United States. Barton also talks with Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce about his visit to Washington for the presidential inauguration and Ontario’s response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs.

“Either they don’t know, or they’re not telling us, or (President-elect) Trump hasn’t made those final decisions,” LeBlanc told host Rosemary Barton.

If it becomes necessary, LeBlanc said Canada’s initial plan is to have a “very short” consultation period on the first round of countermeasures in response to whatever Trump may do, and then consider escalation.

“Our goal is not to learn how to live with potential tariffs,” LeBlanc said. The goal, in his words, is to have “temporary measures that will hopefully get us out of the other side of these (American) tariffs.”

Wilbur Ross, who served as commerce secretary during Trump’s first administration, said he doesn’t think the president-elect will take office Monday and automatically impose tariffs on Canada.

Ross also said “it’s good for Canada to prepare so it doesn’t mess up,” although he cautioned that it’s not in Canada’s interest to get into a “territory war” with the U.S. because it’s so critical to the Canadian economy.

Federation conflicts

Canada’s efforts to avoid Trump’s tariffs hit a roadblock Wednesday after an hours-long meeting in Ottawa between all 13 prime ministers and premiers.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took to social media to say she could they do not go with the Canadian plan to oppose Trump as federal government officials “continue to publicly and privately float the idea of ​​cutting off U.S. energy supplies and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the United States.”

“Until these threats stop, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan to address the tariff threats,” she said.

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Smith’s comments drew the ire of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said “country comes first” and that Canada should be united.

Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said the province understands Smith’s concerns, but “in the end, unity will be our strength.”

“Prime Minister Ford argued that we must be united to increase pressure on the US, to deny (President-elect) Trump the ability to divide and conquer within the federation,” Lecce said in an interview with Rosemary Barton live.

LeBlanc said the federal government is confident there is a “large consensus” in Canada on how to proceed with Trump’s tariffs, and Ottawa is “sensitive” to Alberta’s concerns.

Asked why Canada can’t get Trump to drop his threats, Lecce said the president-elect, who has previously criticized Canada’s border security, defense spending and trade imbalance with the United States, has “moved the target.”

The US can work with Ontario and Canada to “create an unstoppable energy alliance,” Lecce said, or it can continue to trade with “world dictators.”

Ontario’s energy minister also said he believes “sober minds prevail” and the U.S. will recognize Canada’s economic value and realize the two countries “need each other to drive that growth.”