Shopify CEO Criticizes Trudeau, Aligns with Trump Amid Tariff Dispute

Tobi Lutke, the CEO of Shopify, openly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for not conceding to what he described as President Donald Trump’s "reasonable demands," potentially preventing a trade conflict with the United States.

President Trump, on Saturday, announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on the majority of Canadian imports, sparing only energy resources, which will face a reduced tariff rate of 10%.

In response, Trudeau vowed the same day to introduce tariffs targeting a broad spectrum of American goods. This escalation prompted Lutke to voice his disapproval of the decisions made by both nations.

Shopify, headquartered in Ottawa, is Canada’s largest tech firm and ranks as the second-largest publicly traded company in the country, with an estimated valuation of $150 billion, as reported by the New York Post.

“Canada thrives when it works with America together. Win by helping America win. Trump believes that Canada has not held its side of the bargain, and he set terms to prove that we still work together: get the borders under control and crack down on fentanyl dens,” Lutke expressed on X this past Saturday. Notably, Lutke is among Canada’s wealthiest individuals.

He further commented, “These are things that every Canadian wants its government to do, too. These are not crazy demands, even if they came from an unpopular source.”

Lutke warned about the potential economic fallout, stating, “These tariffs are going to be devastating to so many people’s lives and small businesses. Action has to be judged based on what it leads to, not how good it sounds or feels. Leadership is about doing what’s right, not what is popular. And hitting back will not lead to anything good. America will shrug it off. Canada will decline.”

In concluding his remarks, he noted, “It’s simply the wrong choice in a possibility space where much better options would have been available.” His post was accompanied by a video of Trudeau announcing tariffs amounting to $155 billion on U.S. products.

Meanwhile, President Trump dismissed concerns over Canada’s retaliatory measures, stating on Sunday night, “They don’t allow our farm products in, essentially. They don’t allow a lot of things in, and we allow everything to come in. It’s been a one-way street. We subsidize Canada by the tune of about $200 billion a year, and for what? What do we get out of it?”

Trump hinted at possible future actions, saying, “Something’s going to happen there. But if they want to play the game, I don’t mind. We can play the game all they want.”

According to the New York Post, “The tariffs are poised to hit Canada especially hard because roughly 75 percent of its exports go to the U.S. while only about 13 percent of American exports go to Canada.”

Addressing reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump remarked, “We don’t need [Canada] to build our cars. I’d rather see Detroit or South Carolina or Tennessee, any one of our states build the cars. They could do it very easily.”

“We don’t need them for anything,” he added, further suggesting, as he has in the past, that Canada consider becoming the 51st state to sidestep tariff issues.