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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called a snap federal election on April 28, saying he needs a strong mandate to address President Trump’s tariffs.

Speaking in Ottawa on Sunday, Carney said the elections, which are not due until Oct. 20, should be pushed up in the face of the Trump administration.

“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.

“He wants to break us so America will own us. We will not let that happen,” he added.

The Governor General, the personal representative of King Charles, Canada’s head of state, has approved the request for the election, Carney said. 

April’s election “will be one of the most consequential in our lifetimes,” said Carney, who is just nine days into his job following former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s exit.

The new prime minister said his administration would focus on crafting plans to support farmers and Canadian businesses during the trade war with the US. 

Carney, the former governor of the UK’s central bank, the Bank of England, and a man with no previous political or election campaign experience has positioned himself as Canada’s best option to deal with Trump.

Earlier this month, Trump slapped Canada’s steel and aluminum industries with 25% tariffs and has threatened sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products starting April 2.   

The American president has also repeatedly mocked Canada as the “51st state.” 

The ongoing American-Canadian feud has bolstered Carney’s Liberal Party in recent weeks, which before the trade was looking at a historic election defeat. 

Recent polls show that Carney and his party have eliminated the 25-percent-point lead Conservatives had before the trade war. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.