U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to levy punishing new tariffs on Canada has prompted calls for Ottawa and the provinces to turn to other markets. But any bid to do more business with Canada’s second-largest trading partner,

The president said he will impose tariffs Feb. 1 on products from Canada, Mexico and China, countries that together account for more than a third of U.S. trade.

President Donald Trump did not immediately impose tariffs on Monday as previously promised but said he was thinking about imposing 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 over illegal immigrants and fentanyl crossing into the U.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump promised a 10 per cent to 20 per cent charge on all imported goods and 60 per cent on Chinese products. He also vowed a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10 per cent duty on Chinese goods.

President Trump said on Tuesday that he intended to impose a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports into the United States on Feb. 1, a decision that is sure to escalate trade tensions between the world’s largest economies.