Canada threatens to retaliate if Trump imposes auto tariffs

Canada's government is warning the Trump administration that it will hit back if the U.S. imposes tariffs on imports of Canadian automotive products.

Kirsten Hillman is Canada's deputy ambassador to the U.S. and she says Canada will be "forced to respond in a proportional manner" if the U.S. imposes auto levies.

She delivered the message Thursday in Washington during testimony at U.S. Commerce Department hearings. The department is investigating whether duties should be applied based on the premise that auto imports pose a national security risk to the U.S.

The North American auto industry and its supply chains are highly integrated and economically critical to both the United States and Canada. Many experts have argued that tariffs would lead to large-scale layoffs on both sides of the border.