20 hours ago
4
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has deed backmost astatine Donald Trump's menace to usage "economic force" to sorb Canada into the US saying determination isn't "a snowball's accidental successful hell" to articulation the two.
On Tuesday, President-elect Trump reiterated his menace to bring successful a 25% tariff connected Canadian goods unless the state took steps to summation information connected the shared US border.
Trump has successful caller weeks repeatedly needled Canada astir it becoming the 51st US state.
"You get escaped of that artificially drawn line, and you instrumentality a look astatine what that looks like, and it would besides beryllium overmuch amended for nationalist security," Trump said.
"Canada and the United States, that would truly beryllium something," helium said astatine a property league astatine his Florida residence of Mar-a Lago.
The ongoing tariff menace comes astatine a politically challenging clip for Canada.
On Monday, an embattled Trudeau announced helium was resigning, though helium volition enactment connected arsenic premier curate until the governing Liberals elite a caller leader, expected sometime by precocious March.
Canada's parliament has been prorogued - oregon suspended - until 24 March to let clip for the enactment race.
Economists pass that if Trump follows done connected imposing the tariffs aft helium is inaugurated connected 20 January, it would importantly wounded Canada's economy.
Almost C$3.6bn ($2.5bn) worthy of goods and services crossed the borderline regular successful 2023, according to Canadian authorities figures.
The Trudeau authorities has said it is considering imposing counter-tariffs if Trump follows done connected the threat.
The premier curate besides said connected X that: "Workers and communities successful some our countries payment from being each other's biggest trading and information partner."
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his concerns helium has expressed astir drugs crossing the borders of Mexico and Canada into the US.
Like Canada, Mexico faces a 25% tariff threat.
The magnitude of fentanyl seized astatine the US-Canada borderline is importantly little than astatine the confederate border, according to US data.
Canada has promised to instrumentality a acceptable of sweeping caller information measures on the border, including strengthened surveillance and adding a associated "strike force" to people transnational organised crime.
Trump said connected Tuesday helium was not considering utilizing subject unit to marque Canada portion of the United States, but raised concerns astir its neighbour's subject spending.
"They person a precise tiny military. They trust connected our military. It's each fine, but, you know, they got to wage for that. It's precise unfair," helium said.
Canada has been nether unit to summation its subject spending arsenic it continues to autumn abbreviated of the people acceptable retired for Nato members.
Its defence fund presently stands astatine C$27bn ($19.8bn, £15.5bn), though the Trudeau authorities has promised that it volition boost spending to astir C$50bn by 2030.
On Monday, Doug Ford, the person of Canada's astir populous state Ontario, said Trudeau indispensable walk his remaining weeks successful bureau moving with the provinces to code Trump's threat.
"The premiers are starring the state close now," helium said.
- What happens adjacent for Canada?
- When volition Donald Trump instrumentality bureau arsenic US president?
Ontario has a heavy reliance connected commercialized with the US. The state is astatine the bosom of the highly integrated car manufacture successful Canada, and commercialized betwixt Ontario and the US totalled much than C$493bn ($350bn) successful 2023.
"My connection is let's enactment together, let's physique a stronger commercialized narration - not weaken it," helium said.
The premier warned "we volition retaliate hard" if the Trump medication follows through, and highlighted the adjacent economical ties betwixt the 2 nations, including connected energy.
The US relies "on Ontario for their electricity. We support the lights connected to a cardinal and a fractional homes and businesses successful the US", helium said.
At a property league aboriginal this week, Ford besides pushed backmost connected Trump's 51st authorities comments.
"I'll marque him a counter-offer. How astir if we bargain Alaska and we propulsion successful Minneapolis and Minnesota astatine the aforesaid time?" Ford said.
English (US)