Ottawa, July 24 : Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that his government will do "whatever it takes" to defend national interests in response to recent US tariff threats, local media reported.

Carney made the remarks on Thursday at a meeting of provincial and territorial leaders in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, stressing that Canada will protect and support its workers, farmers, businesses and families amid trade pressure from Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are in a stronger position than we were when this trade war started 18 months ago," Carney said. "We're in a stronger position because of the determination of Canadians themselves, and the focus of the premiers around this table."

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed proclamations to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on certain Canadian goods, saying Canada was discriminating against US commerce.

Invoking Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Trump signed three separate proclamations imposing the new duties on selected Canadian imports. The White House said the action was aimed at offsetting "the burden and disadvantage on US commerce from Canada's discriminatory treatment of US commerce" and "levelling the playing field" for American exports, particularly cars, alcohol and dairy products.

The additional 50 per cent ad valorem duties on certain dairy products, alcoholic beverages, motor vehicles and related goods will take effect on August 19, according to documents posted on the White House website.

In response, Carney on Monday described the new US tariffs as "the latest in a series of unilateral US trade actions in direct violation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement."

Carney said on Tuesday that he had spoken with Trump and the two sides had agreed to intensify trade negotiations.

The White House said that over the past year and a half, only two countries, China and Canada, had chosen to retaliate against Trump's tariffs instead of negotiating trade agreements with Washington.

It said the administration had secured 18 trade deals that opened new markets for US exports but argued that Canada had "elected to discriminate against the United States rather than address Canadian trade barriers."

The latest tariffs mark another significant step in the Trump administration's use of trade measures to pursue its America First economic agenda.

/IANS