The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association is urging the federal Liberal government to resist retaliating – if America follows through on its threat to slap tariffs on Canadian-made cars and trucks.

Ottawa recently retaliated against U.S. levies on Canadian steel and aluminum – with reciprocal duties on American imports of the metals – in addition to dozens of consumer products.

The auto dealers association says full-scale reprisals on auto tariffs – would risk approximately 30-thousand jobs in Canada’s retail sector.

But the Auto Parts Manufacturers’ Association says Canada would have no choice but to take precisely the same measures against America – even though the impact would be devastating to the sector.