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 country’s leaders are trying to persuade the new administration to hold off while also seeking ways to inflict pain in a tariff spat.

Canada is preparing to retaliate with an exhaustive list of tariffs on American goods if President-elect Trump follows through with his plans to add a steep 25% import tax on Canadian exports, people familiar with the matter told CNN.