Quebec Premier says Trump's immigration concerns 'are legitimate'

Premier François Legault said he agrees with Donald Trump on immigration, but fears the devastating impact of the 25 per cent tariffs announced by the president-elect on Quebec exports.

Trump announced on Monday that he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they do not tighten their border controls to block illegal immigration and drugs such as fentanyl.

All Quebec products could be affected, from aeronautics, forestry and agriculture to electricity exports.

“We have to take this seriously,” Legault told journalists Tuesday afternoon.

“Donald Trump's fears about immigration are legitimate,” he continued, pointing out that in recent years there has been a significant increase in illegal immigrants crossing from Canada to the United States.

He demanded a clear border protection plan from Prime Minister Trudeau, with whom he spoke on Monday.

Tariffs on Quebec exports would mean “tens of thousands of lost jobs,” said Legault.

However, this is not the time to talk about retaliation, he said, because Quebec is in a weak position: it exports $87 billion south of the border, but imports only $43 billion worth of American products.

Quebec’s Liberals (PLQ) have called for the appointment of a chief negotiator to defend the province’s interests with the next Trump administration, but Legault is waiting to see what role the federal government would let them play.

The interim leader of the PLQ, Marc Tanguay, has argued that Trump's threat is a major danger to Quebec's economy.

Trudeau's federal government has already taken steps to re-establish ties with Trump's entourage. Legault has also announced that he will travel to Washington early this year.

But Tanguay insisted that there was an urgent need to step up the pace.

He would not suggest names, but PLQ leadership candidate Frédéric Beauchemin recommended Raymond Bachand.

Previous negotiations

Tanguay recalled that in 2017, Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard appointed Bachand to renegotiate NAFTA.

A few years earlier, another Liberal, Jean Charest, gave Pierre Marc Johnson the mandate to negotiate the free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union.

“When you look at the profile of the people who have the skills, who have the network, who also have the maturity and the ability to negotiate and to be good negotiators, these are two good examples,” Tanguay argued.

“We have to take this calmly and diplomatically, we have to plan ahead,” Parti Québécois economic spokesperson Pascal Paradis told journalists.

In his view, it is Canada that has put itself in a weak position by “laxly” managing its border, something the PQ has denounced on numerous occasions.

“What can we do better, what can we do differently? Tighter border management will also make it possible to tackle the trade issue head on with the United States,” said Paradis.

He said Trump has already shown his true colours and his negotiation methods are well-known.

“We are calling on our government to be very proactive,” he said.

“We need to work with our partners, mobilise the stakeholders too, make sure we have the right players in Quebec diplomacy too, because there's going to be a complex period opening up, and then let's consider all our options.”

“This is all a smoke show from the Trump administration,” Beauchemin argued afterwards.

“At the end of the day, it's going to be so expensive (for the Americans), it could reignite the flames of inflation, and the consequences could be harmful for their economy.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Nov. 26, 2024.