Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, describes the levies as a ‘direct attack’ and vows to defend Canadian workers and companies

Donald Trump announced plans to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on cars from overseas on Wednesday, days before the US president is expected to announce wide-ranging levies on other goods from around the world.

“What we’re going to be doing is a 25% tariff for all cars that are not made in the United States,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We start off with a 2.5% base, which is what we’re at, and go to 25%.”

The announcement drew swift condemnation from the European Union and from the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who called it a “direct attack” on Canadian workers. “We will defend our workers, we will defend our companies, we will defend our country, and we will defend it together,” Carney said.