Canada will have a "robust" response if Donald Trump imposes tariffs on its goods, but Canadian leaders are split over energy as a bargaining chip.

President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs against Canada has resulted in a push in the country from the worlds of academia to politics to preserve, not punish, trade with the U.S.

The government is preparing for the possibility that the incoming U.S. administration will impose high tariffs on Canadian goods, setting the close allies up for a showdown.