U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his administration could move ahead with with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports on Feb. 1.

He delivered the deadline on Monday evening at the White House as he signed a stack of unrelated executive orders.

鈥淲e are thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada because they are allowing vast number of people, Canada is a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in,鈥� he told reporters Monday night.

The February date comes after Trump officials, speaking anonymously, suggested to reporters that the Republican president would only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China.

An executive order from the president late Monday mandating the studies set an April 1 deadline for the reports 鈥� well after his suggestion that tariffs will happen in February.

Trump also said he may consider imposing a universal tariff on all countries.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not ready for that yet,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淓ssentially all countries take advantage of the U.S.鈥�

Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly called it an 鈥渋mportant moment for Canadians鈥� after Trump announced the date.

鈥淲e鈥檙e calling on every single political leader across the board, across the country, to stand united because now more than ever, we need to make sure that we put country first,鈥� Joly said at a cabinet retreat in Montebello, Que.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa is 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� ready for Trump tariffs, adding that Canada has responses prepared for various scenarios.

Federal government sources have said if Trump sets the tariffs at 25 per cent, Canada鈥檚 response would be to impose counter-tariffs worth roughly $37 billion, and possibly follow up with another $110 billion in tariffs. If the duties are lower, Canada鈥檚 tariff response would be more modest.

Trump, who gave his inaugural address earlier Monday in the Capitol Rotunda, focused largely on concerns about immigration at the Mexican border and touched on prosecutions of himself and his supporters. Suggesting he still has an eye on tariffs, Trump said he was going to overhaul the trade system to protect American workers and families.

鈥淚nstead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,鈥� he said during his inaugural address.

Federal and provincial officials in Washington were relieved that tariffs on Canadian goods were not part of Trump鈥檚 inaugural speech. But many said Canada can鈥檛 afford to be complacent ahead of what could be a brutal hit to the economy.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always good news when you鈥檙e not mentioned, so I prefer that,鈥� said Liberal MP John McKay, who co-chairs the Canada-U.S. interparliamentary group.

In an interview inside the Canadian embassy in Washington, McKay said Ottawa has an opportunity to establish 鈥渁n agreed upon set of facts, as opposed to nonsense which is currently occupying the public space.鈥�

Trump has insisted for weeks that Washington is subsidizing Canada at an annual rate of $100 billion, a claim McKay called 鈥渏ust nonsense.鈥�

Trade Minister Mary Ng sought to reassure Canadians earlier Monday, saying that Ottawa and the provinces have taken a Team Canada approach to convincing Americans that tariffs and restrictions on Canadian goods would only hurt U.S. jobs.

鈥淲e are ready and we are prepared,鈥� Ng said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she saw opportunity for Canada in Trump鈥檚 speech when he said he would 鈥渄eclare a national energy emergency鈥� to drive down prices at the pump and 鈥渆xport American energy all over the world.鈥�

Smith said Canada can form a 鈥減erfect partnership鈥� with the U.S. to provide oil and gas at stable prices, so the Americans can focus on boosting their own energy exports.

鈥淎mericans want to have energy dominance globally, and I believe the best way for them to achieve that is for Canada to be a partner in that,鈥� she said.

鈥淚f their asks are reasonable, then let鈥檚 meet them halfway.鈥�

Last week, Smith refused to sign a joint statement with other premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that said every possible countermeasure would be on the table to push back against U.S. tariffs.

Smith, who recently travelled to Trump鈥檚 Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to meet with the president-elect, broke from the pack by refusing to consider any plan that would include possible levies on oil exports or cutting off energy supplies to the U.S.

In a statement issued Monday, Trudeau congratulated Trump on his inauguration and cited Canada鈥檚 efforts to secure the border in response to the Republican leader鈥檚 demands for a crackdown on migrants and drugs.

鈥淲e are strongest when we work together,鈥� Trudeau wrote.

When asked who would be his first foreign meeting, Trump said he鈥檇 already had meetings. He pointed to Trudeau, making a repeated jab about making Canada the 51st state by calling him a governor.

Monday鈥檚 inauguration presented a scene quite different from Trump鈥檚 first inauguration in 2017, when he painted a bleak picture of what he called 鈥淎merican carnage鈥� 鈥� a speech that was overshadowed in the news cycle by his claims about crowd sizes.

The celebrations also offered a stark contrast to the nature of Trump鈥檚 departure from the nation鈥檚 capital four years ago. In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill attack, Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election and skipped Biden鈥檚 inauguration.

Biden and his vice-president Kamala Harris, as well as former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, were in attendance on Monday inside the rotunda, as was Industry Minister Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne.

Trump delivered his oath of office inside the U.S. Capitol after cold weather moved the planned ceremony indoors.

Outside, thousands of people wearing Trump tuques and hats braved the frigid weather near the Capitol One Arena, where Trump spoke later after his inaugural address.

Kenneth Johnson, visiting the capital from Boulder City, Nev., said he believes Trump will stop other countries from 鈥渢aking advantage鈥� of the U.S. and bring down the cost of groceries.

鈥淲e鈥檙e getting rid of the corruption. We鈥檙e getting rid of the baloney,鈥� he said, citing President Joe Biden鈥檚 last-minute pardon of administration officials who might face retribution from Trump.

鈥淥ur nation鈥檚 going to be back under control,鈥� Johnson said.

Daniel Blake travelled from Connecticut to take in the moment and celebrate with others excited about the promise of smaller government.

鈥淲e basically waste our taxpayer money, so I鈥檓 excited about that,鈥� he said.