Windsor West NDP MP Brian Masse is reacting to the news of President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on Canada.
Trump on Saturday signed an executive order imposing 25 per cent tariffs across the board, with the exception of energy, which will be hit with a 10 per cent tariff, effective Tuesday.
Masse says the imposed tariffs will have rippling effects.
"This has significant consequences not only to Americans, Canadians, but also the world economy," he said. "So we'll have to see our way through it and present a very robust and strategic plan to deal with it because we simply just can't take it."
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau in a rare Saturday night address said Canada would be slapping 25 per cent tariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs.
Trump's reasoning for imposing the tariffs were "the extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl".
In December, the federal government rolled out a $1.3-billion border-security package over six years, in an effort to address Trump's concerns.
Masse thinks Trump's claims about the border and fentanyl are a 'smoke screen'.
"There's no doubt that there are some issues at the border, which we've been raising," he said. "That's why the border response I thought was ineffective by the government. Just having a couple of photo ops of Black Hawk helicopters nabbing a couple people versus that of what we do need is 2,000 to 3,000 additional border employees and staff, boots on the ground."
On Saturday, Unifor national president Lana Payne, a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, noted that 120,000 of her members could be impacted by the tariffs, stating that there is potential for an entire shutdown of the auto sector within a week or two.
Masse says this puts the region in uncharted territory.
"Again that's why I want a procurement strategy," he said. "That should have ready already in a sense of having some more specifics because we need to extend the lines for public good, and also for wise purchases from municipal, provincial, federal and private fleets. So there's ways we can do to actually extend the timeframe's."
Masse had a message for those who travel and work in Detroit each day and said he will continue to closely monitor the border crossings.
"Understand our strength in Canada - US relations was never built upon political personalities, this trade war is not about your service, but is the true relationship of saving lives in hospitals, building and serving various parts of the economy for mutual benefit of prosperity so be proud of that because that this pillar of decency is fundamental for all of us as we go through this unprecedented, unnecessary journey but united," said Masse.