Fréchette pauses campaign for cabinet meeting on tariffs

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is pausing her election campaign to hold a special cabinet meeting on Monday evening, one day before Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods are set to begin. The meeting, which will be held virtually, comes as Ottawa prepares to impose tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on a broad list of American products, including dairy, steel, copper and some beauty items. The measures are a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports. Fréchette’s decision drew criticism from several political opponents, who accused her of using the trade dispute for campaign purposes. Quebec’s other party leaders said the government should focus on clear support for businesses and workers as the dispute escalates.