US orange juice and steel will be on Canada's list for retaliation if Trump imposes tariffs

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US orange juice and steel will be on Canada's list for retaliation if Trump imposes tariffs

2025-01-10 07:03 Last Updated At：07:10

TORONTO (AP) — Canada is looking at putting retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products, a senior official familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The official said the wide-ranging list hasn't been completed yet. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Trump said this week he will use economic coercion to pressure Canada to become the nation’s 51st state. And he continues to erroneously cast the U.S. trade deficit with Canada — a natural resource-rich nation that provides the U.S. with commodities like oil — as a subsidy.

Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Trump is trying to distract from his threats of stiff tariffs by talking about making Canada the 51st state.

“President Trump ,who is a very skillful negotiator, is getting people to be somewhat distracted by that conversation,” Trudeau said.

“Everything American consumers buy from Canada is suddenly going to get a lot more expensive if he moves forward on these tariffs. And that’s something we need to be focusing on a little bit more.”

Trudeau made comments in an interview with CNN in Washington, where he attended the funeral for the late U.S. president Jimmy Carter.

When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.

“We would definitely respond as we did years ago," Trudeau said.

Yogurt imports from Wisconsin and whiskey from Kentucky, the home states of top Republicans Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell respectively, were hit with 10% duties in 2018.

Florida, Trump's home state, is known for its extensive citrus production.

Trump said this week the U.S doesn’t need anything from Canada, including automobiles, lumber and dairy products. Supply chains for the auto industry are deeply connected, with parts manufactured in Ontario being used in cars that are assembled in Detroit and then sold back to Canada.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has noted that in the auto sector alone parts can go back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border several times.

Ford, the leader of Canada's most populous province, said Trump has been misinformed about the U.S. not needing Canadian products. Almost a quarter of the oil the U.S. consumes every day is from Canada, with Alberta exporting 4.3 million barrels a day to the U.S. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumes about 20 million barrels a day, while domestically producing about 13.2 million barrels a day.

Ford warned that Canada will retaliate if Trump imposes tariffs. He said a wide range of U.S. products shipped to Canada will be targeted, but he declined to specify which ones.

Top Canadian government officials say Trump’s comments that Canada should become the 51st state are no longer a joke and are meant to undermine America’s closest ally.

“The joke is over,” Dominic LeBlanc, the country’s finance minister and point person for U.S.-Canada relations, said Wednesday. “It’s a way for him, I think, to sow confusion, to agitate people, to create chaos knowing this will never happen.”

LeBlanc has been talking to incoming Trump Cabinet officials about a billion-dollar plan to increase border security in an effort to deflect Trump's threat of tariffs. Trudeau called that a win for Trump.

Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.

What to know about thousands of evacuations and homes burned in Los Angeles area fires

2025-01-10 07:07 Last Updated At：07:10

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At least five people were killed and thousands of structures were burned as fierce wildfires raged in the Los Angeles area, officials said. Fast-moving flames blazed through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities.

Many of the towering fires that began Tuesday were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gusted to more than 70 mph (112 kph) in some spots. The winds dropped Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that even the reduced gusts could still spread fire rapidly and the wind is expected to strengthen again Thursday evening. Another round of strong winds may form Tuesday.

The exact death toll remained unclear Thursday, but the total is expected to rise as crews begin to search the rubble.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to battle the blazes. Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona were dispatching teams to assist.

AccuWeather estimated Wednesday that $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic loss has occurred as the fires continue to burn. Government officials have not yet released any damage estimates.

Here's what to know about the fires:

Thousands of structures have been damaged or destroyed in the hilly coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.

The wreckage surpassed that of the Sayre Fire of November 2008, which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar, the northernmost suburb of the city, according to statistics kept by the Wildfire Alliance, a partnership between the city’s fire department and MySafe:LA.

Nearly 27 square miles (nearly 70 square kilometers) burned in Pacific Palisades, which is dotted with celebrity homes and was memorialized by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA.” The flames torched part of Palisades Charter High School, which has been featured in many Hollywood productions, including the 1976 horror movie “Carrie” and the TV series “Teen Wolf.” Actor Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home of 45 years.

Farther inland, the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena burned between 200 and 500 structures, substantially damaged five school campuses in Altadena and scorched more than 16.5 square miles (43 square kilometers). Employees at a senior center pushed dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds to a parking lot to escape.

The Hurst Fire, which started Tuesday night, prompted evacuations in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley and grew to 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers).

Late Wednesday, another blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills. Called the Sunset Fire, it was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and other iconic landmarks, but firefighters were able to hold that blaze to under 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers).

Altogether, the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) — roughly the size of San Francisco.

President Joe Biden said during a White House briefing with staff Thursday that he was making federal resources available and has approved additional funding to help California battle the devastating fires, saying they were the “worst fires to ever hit Los Angeles. Ever.”

The new funding will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days for hazardous materials removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries and measures to protect life, he said.

Biden said he wasn’t in a position to answer whether California would continue to receive federal funding to help combat the fires after President-elect Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20. “I pray to God they will,” Biden said.

Nearly 180,000 people were under evacuation orders Thursday morning.

The flames threatened highly populated and affluent neighborhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California’s rich and famous. Hollywood stars including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods were among those forced to flee, and Moore later said she lost her home in Altadena.

The fires filled the air with a thick cloud of smoke and ash, prompting air and dust advisories for 17 million people across a vast stretch of Southern California, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The worst conditions were in the vicinity of the fires. In East Los Angeles, the air quality index hit an unhealthy 173. Good air quality is considered to be 50 or less.

Dr. Puneet Gupta, the assistant medical director for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said wildfire smoke causes heart attacks and worsens asthma, while burning homes can release cyanide and carbon dioxide.

The Critics Choice Awards rescheduled their Sunday ceremonies for Jan. 26. They're due to be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, only miles from Pacific Palisades.

The organization that puts on the Oscars has extended the voting window for Academy Awards nominations and delayed next week’s planned nominations announcement.

Film studios canceled two movie premieres because of the fires and windy weather, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park closed for the day and the J. Paul Getty Trust said two of its museums will remain closed for the next few days. But Disneyland, which is farther from the fires in Anaheim, remained open.

Universal Studios also canceled shooting for numerous series, including “Hacks,” “Ted Lasso” and “Suits LA.”

All schools were closed Thursday in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The NBA postponed Thursday's scheduled Lakers game against the Hornets because of the fires while the NFL said it is monitoring conditions to determine if Monday's playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings will be affected.

The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames Wednesday.

More than 415,000 customers were without power in Southern California on Thursday afternoon, with about half of them in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

Residents in some areas including Palisades have been ordered to boil their water before using it because ash and debris from the fires have contaminated some water supplies. Officials say the sewer, water and power infrastructure across the region has been significantly damaged.

Looters who are taking advantage of the wildfire crisis in Los Angeles by targeting vulnerable communities will be prosecuted, officials promised during a news conference Thursday. There have been at least 20 arrests.

“This is simply unacceptable,” Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said. “I promise you, you will be held accountable.”