OTTAWA — Quebec Premier François Legault said Canada “must do everything” to avoid the U.S. president-elect’s plan to impose 25-per-cent tariffs on all products exported to the United States, as it would represent “a huge risk” to the provincial economy. Calling Donald Trump’s announcement a “bombshell” that could affect “tens of thousands of jobs in Quebec and Canada,” Legault said the federal government must take “seriously” the “legitimate concerns of the president-elect regarding immigration” and border control. “More than ever, Justin Trudeau must have a plan to protect the border,” Legault said. The premier is a strong proponent of a tighter border control by the federal government. “The first thing Mr. Trudeau must do is secure the border to remove this argument from Donald Trump,” he added. On Monday, Trump announced that one of his first orders of business upon taking office Jan. 20 would be imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on all goods crossing the U.S. border from Canada and Mexico until both countries strengthen their borders. “This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all illegal Aliens, stop this invasion of our country,” Trump wrote on social media. Legault pointed out that Alberta mainly exports oil and gas to the United States, and that Ontario’s auto sector would be greatly affected. He said Quebec’s aluminum, lumber, aerospace and agriculture industries could all be severely affected. Quebec exports $87 billion in goods annually to the United States while its imports amount to $43 billion. When Trump had originally proposed a 10-per-cent tariff on imports during the presidential campaign, economists estimated it would mean a 2.5-per-cent drop in exports for the province. The impact obviously now appears to be even more significant. “From now on, in all talks, I want a Quebec representative at the table,” said Legault. “The important thing right now is that Canada doesn’t panic and conclude that it’s a done deal when there are still two months to go until the swearing-in,” said John Parisella, who was chief of staff to then premier Robert Bourassa during U.S.-Canada free-trade negotiations. “That doesn’t mean we’re taking it lightly, it just means we’re preparing properly, that we’re both tacticians and strategists,” added Parisella, now a senior advisor at National Public Relations. For 34 U.S. states, Canada is the most important trading partner, and he said diplomacy shouldn’t be exclusive to Ottawa and Washington. The province has 11 offices in the United States to conduct government diplomacy on behalf of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal party has asked the premier to immediately appoint a chief negotiator for the upcoming 2026 renegotiation of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free-trade agreement. In the business community, uncertainty reigns. According to the Conseil du patronat du Québec, which represents 70,000 employers in the province, some companies could put the brakes on certain projects linked to the United States or on new contracts with American counterparts. “It may also be a bit of a wait-and-see attitude, waiting until January and at the same time hoping that our governments can demonstrate once again that Canada and Quebec are partners of choice for the Americans,” said Norma Kozhaya, the council’s chief economist. National Post atrepanier@postmedia.com Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here .z hostel 。

The government should lower tariffs Power Minister Awais Leghari has announced that the government expects to save Rs 1 trillion after negotiating new tariff agreements with IPPs using the ‘whole-of-government’ approach. Reprofiling the debt alone, as was being done with China for the nuclear power plants, would shave Rs 1.50 per unit off the tariff.. Meanwhile, a committee headed by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar would review the taxes, including advance income tax, provincial and federal excise duties, to determine which of them could be removed from the bills. The impact of those taxes is Rs 9 per unit, the cumulative impact is Rs 964 billion, including a provincial share of Rs 563 billion, which means that even a reduction, much less elimination, would upset the budgets of all. The committee has thus been tasked with getting IMF approval for its proposals. The government has been engaged in an activity in which the electricity consumer, which is to say every householder, business and enterprise in the country, is not really interested in. What concerns the consumer is the result, which, it has been promised, will be a reduction in the tariff. With IESCO, GEPCO and FESCO due to be privatized in 2025, some certainty about the tariff is needed. It is perhaps ironic that the wholesale revision of power purchase agreements has been such a shock for potential investors that it affected the PIA privatisation negatively, and though IPPs are not going on the block, DISCOs are. Mr Leghari also took the opportunity to announce that the buyback tariff for solar power users would also be reduced, to discourage solarisation. Whatever solarization has occurred so far has been for economic reasons rather than environmental concern. Mr Leghari should be ready for a future where consumers switch to solar power, leaving DISCO connections purely as a back-up. The next step, of going off-grid altogether, will happen when storage technologies improve, and then the government will also lose the taxation it is presently deducting. The government can bring the tariffs down, but it should realise that it need not carry out some dramatic change some time in the future. It would be better to bring it down gradually, as and when the agreements with the IPPs are made. For political benefit, the cumulative benefit may be announced as the process goes on. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );None

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NoneFeyenoord completed an incredible comeback to draw 3-3 away to the reigning champions of England, Manchester City, in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The Rotterdammers were 3-0 down with 20 minutes left to play, but goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez, and David Hancko ensured that Brian Priske’s side got a draw that will live long in the memory. Feyenoord started the match with their captain, Quinten Timber, in the starting line-up. The midfielder missed the win against SC Heerenveen at the weekend due to an ankle injury but was fit to return for this match. Timon Wellenreuther made a terrific stop to prevent the home side from taking the lead in the first ten minutes. A cross from Manuel Akanji was headed toward goal by Erling Haaland, and it was about to find the target via the inside of the post before the German clawed it away. Wellenreuther was making up for his poor form earlier in the season with a terrific display as he made another fine save to knock Phil Foden’s effort around the post when the Englishman shot from distance in the 23rd minute. Feyenoord seemed to have weathered the English champions' early storm, but Pep Guardiola’s side were gifted a penalty in the 41st minute. Timber was penalized for kicking Haaland. The striker took the penalty himself and scored, sending Wellenreuther the wrong way. Luck did not seem to be on Feyenoord’s side on the night when City made it 2-0 within five minutes of the second half starting. A corner was headed out to Ilkay Gündogan, whose volley was going straight at Wellenreuther before it was deflected into the goal by Hancko. It got worse four minutes later when Haaland got his second of the match to make it 3-0. Feyenoord’s high line was bypassed, sending Matheus Nunes sprawling down the wing with plenty of space ahead of him. He then picked out Haaland, who timed his sliding effort perfectly to score. Feyenoord’s first goal of the game came in the 74th minute, and many will have thought it was a consolation goal at that point. A mistake by Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol was punished by Hadj Moussa, who kept his calm to dribble past Ederson in the city goal before converting from an acute angle. The atmosphere in the Etihad Stadium was still reasonably calm, with City fans and players still thinking the game was won. But that soon changed when Feyenoord scored again in the 81st minute. A cross to the far post was met by Jordan Lotomba, who knocked it across the goal, surprising Ederson and leading to an assist for Santiago Gimenez, who tapped home from close range. City was reeling, and the incredibly dramatic comeback was completed in the 89th minute. Igor Paixao got to the ball before Ederson, who had come out of his goal. The Brazilian then played a perfect cross to David Hancko at the far post, who nodded it home to send the traveling Rotterdammers into wild celebrations. The drama kept coming in the match as Jack Grealish’s deflected effort hit the crossbar a minute later. But Feyenoord held on for a wholly unexpected point. According to OptaJoe, a site specialising in sports stats, it was the first time that a team had been leading by three goals as late as the 74th minute in the UEFA Champions League without going on to win the game. The point puts Feyenoord in 20th position in the 36-team league, a spot that guarantees progress to the play-off round. However, they could drop out of these positions if results go against them in tomorrow’s fixtures. Their next match is at home against Sparta Prague on December 11.

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