Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 4, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba I t Free Press SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2025 Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days Back from the brink of a trade war SARAH RITCHIE O TTAWA — U.S. President Don­ald Trump agreed Monday not to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico for another month, pulling back from a plan that would have tipped North America into a trade war today. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Trump twice on Monday, their first discussions since the president took over the White House on Jan. 20. After what Trudeau described on social media as a “good call” in the afternoon, the two leaders agreed to pause tariffs for at Kinew aims to ‘Trump-proof' Manitoba economy MAGGIE MACINTOSH THE Kinew government is postpon­ ing retaliatory measures after U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a 30-day delay in slapping extra fees on made-in-Canada products. Premier Wab Kinew has tempo­ rarily retracted plans to pull Ameri­ can products from Manitoba Liquor Mart shelves and stop allowing firms located south of the border to bid on government contracts. The former — a tactic also an­ nounced in Ontario, B.C. and Nova Scotia — had been set to take effect today, the day Trump originally said 25 per cent tariffs on goods would be implemented. Following two phone calls with the president on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed Canada is being given at least one buffer month, owing to promises to improve security along the shared border. Mexico has received the same extension. Kinew celebrated the develop­ ment, but noted the tariff threat remains and the province needs to prioritize strengthening relation­ ships with the European Union, Asia and other parts of the world. • KINEW, CONTINUED ON A2 least 30 days. Trudeau released a statement on X that outlined the broad strokes of the $1.3-billion border plan his govern­ ment had announced in December, adding that “nearly 10,000 front-line personnel are and will be working to protect the border.” That mirrors the number of troops Mexican President Claudia Shein- baum pledged to send to the U.S. border on Monday morning when she announced that she had secured a deal with Trump to delay the tar­ iffs on her country by one month. Canada Border Services Agency already has 8,500 front-line officers, and Canada’s border is also patrolled by the RCMP between official cross­ ings. Several provinces in recent weeks have assigned provincial staff and officers to assist as well. Trump signed a pair of executive orders on Saturday that laid out a plan to impose 25 per cent across- the-board tariffs on Mexico and 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods, with a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy. The executive orders say the levies are a response to illegal immigration and drug smuggling, and use the International Emergen­ cy Economic Powers Act to declare an economic emergency that allows Trump to bypass Congress. The order related to Canada says Mexican cartels are operating in the country and claims the modest amount of fentanyl intercepted at the northern border would be enough to kill “9.5 million Ameri­ cans.” Trudeau said Monday that Canada will list cartels as terrorist entities. “I have also signed a new intelli­ gence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million,” he said on X. Canada plans to launch a joint strike force with the U.S. to combat organized crime, fentanyl traffick­ ing and money laundering, and will appoint a “fentanyl czar” — though Trudeau gave no indication of what that job would entail. The prime minister did not take questions from reporters on Monday. Public Safety Minister David Mc- Guinty said in an interview on CTV that the “fentanyl czar” will be a co-ordinating role to bring together multiple facets of the government’s push against fentanyl, including police forces, public health and dis­ cussions with China. • TRADE, CONTINUED ON A2 M IK A E L A M A C K E N Z IE / F R E E PRESS Stores are w o rk in g o v e rtim e to he lp shopp e rs fin d C an a d ian and M a n ito b a p ro d u c ts . See s to ry on P a ge A 3 . Casinos to report suspected money laundering directly to police ERIK PINDERA THE provincial government has ordered Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries officials to report suspicious transac­ tions at its casinos to police in an effort to crack down on money laundering, which is often connected to the drug trade. “(The directive) will help people build cases, that will help officers conduct investigations, and that will help hold people accountable who are responsible for the scourge of toxic drugs that we’re seeing, fentanyl and many other damaging drugs,” Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference Monday at Club Regent Casino. Until now, the Crown corporation reported dodgy activity to the Finan­ cial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the federal financial intelligence unit and anti-money laun­ dering supervisor. “Its mandate is to facilitate the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities, while ensuring the protection of per­ sonal information under its control,” its website says. FINTRAC, as it’s known, is to in­ vestigate the activity and call in local police agencies. Canadian casinos are required by law to report cash transactions that exceed $10,000 — by filing separate reports for payouts and buy-ins — to FINTRAC, as well as reports for any transaction they suspect could be related to money laundering or other illegal activity. Following Monday’s directive, such transactions must be reported to both Manitoba police and FINTRAC, which is what’s done in Ontario and British Columbia, Manitoba officials said. At the news conference, Kinew, flanked by MLL CEO Gerry Sul and RCMP and city police officials, touted the move as a tool for law enforcement to “bring the hammer down” on illicit drug traffickers by going after their money. “People who bring toxic drugs into Manitoba towns, neighbourhoods, First Nations, need to be held accountable,” said Kinew. Sul said money laundering puts the country’s financial systems at risk. Cash-rich casinos can be vulnerable to criminals trying to launder money, he said. “At Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, we take our job seriously and our duty to detect, deter and report suspicious activities in our casinos (seriously),” he said, adding he’s proud of the corpora­ tion’s anti-money laundering compli­ ance system. He said the directive would allow MLL to better share intelligence with local police agencies and “ultimately make our community safer.” Winnipeg Police Service Supt. Cam Mackid said access to better intelli­ gence will have a big effect. “We would anticipate an exponen­ tial gain in the intelligence that we’re getting, that we can act on,” he told the Free Press on Monday, adding he ex­ pects city police to “absolutely” launch further money laundering investiga­ tions. The corporation said it would beef up its anti-money laundering team by adding members and would spend $325,000 in new provincial money on new surveillance equipment. • CASINOS, CONTINUED ON A2 WEATHER PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH -18 — LOW -21 Q - CITY CHARGES FROM MASSIVE SEW AGE SPILL / B1 ;