Hit by Trump tariffs, Quebec loses appetite for quick separation from Canada

InternationalMust ReadHit by Trump tariffs, Quebec loses appetite for quick separation from CanadaBy Reuters -Aug 22, 2026Add ARY News on GoogleAAResizeMONTREAL: When U.S. President Donald Trump levied 50% tariffs on Canadian steel in June last year, a steel factory in Canada’s mostly French-speaking province of Quebec lost about a third of its orders for bolts and fasteners in less than a week. The factory owner – The Heico ​Companies – froze hiring, closed a plant in the region and laid off several dozen people, said David Jeannotte, an operations director, whose own brother lost his job. The cuts were part of 140 layoffs by ‌the company, mainly in Quebec. The factory’s troubles reflect broader anxiety over the fallout from Trump’s trade war in Quebec, which is due to hold a provincial election by October 5. But while some previous economic slowdowns in the province prompted an increase in separatist sentiment, polls show that this time around, support for an independent Quebec is at its lowest level in decades, at about 30%. “As long as Trump will be in his chair, I don’t feel that we even need to talk about that,” Jeannotte said. Others in the region are echoing Jeannotte’s concerns, saying the threat Trump poses to Canada means the best way to preserve Quebec’s unique French culture ​is to stay within Canada — at least for now. Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state and the whiplash from his tariff policy have spurred an outpouring of Canadian patriotism in Quebec, a province that regularly threatens to ​break away and has had two previous referendums on the issue. As the country’s only majority French-speaking province, Quebec has a long-established separatist movement that argues independence from Canada is ⁠the best way to protect its distinct culture and language. Quebec has never formally signed the Canadian Constitution and separatists argue French Canadians are often overlooked by the English-dominated majority. CAMPAIGN OF FEAR The separatist Par...