U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Canada would face a 100% tariff on all goods entering the United States if it moves forward with a trade agreement with China. He also cautioned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that such a deal would threaten Canada’s economy and social fabric.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”
In response, Carney encouraged Canadians to buy domestic products but did not directly address Trump’s threat. “With our economy under threat from abroad, Canadians have made a choice to focus on what we can control,” Carney said. “We can’t control what other nations do, we can be our own best customer.”
Carney recently traveled to China to reset ties and reached a trade agreement with Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the U.S. Initially, Trump had expressed support for the deal, saying on January 16 that “if you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for U.S. trade, clarified on social media that “there is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China” and that the recent talks focused on resolving key tariff issues. The Chinese embassy in Canada said it is ready to implement the agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders.
Trump suggested that Canada could be used by China to bypass U.S. tariffs. “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump said. He added in another post: “The last thing the world needs is to have China take over Canada. It’s NOT going to happen, or even come close to happening!”
If enacted, the 100% tariff would significantly increase costs for Canadian exports, particularly affecting industries like metals, autos, and machinery.
Relations between Trump and Carney had been relatively cordial following Carney’s election, with Trump initially praising their strong ties. However, tensions escalated after Carney criticized Trump’s pursuit of Greenland and emphasized the importance of “middle powers” cooperating to protect themselves from American dominance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In response, Trump claimed Canada “lives because of the United States,” a remark Carney rejected. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney said in Quebec.
Trump has since revoked Canada’s invitation to his Board of Peace and dismissed the North American trade deal as “irrelevant.” The Canadian Chamber of Commerce urged both governments to quickly reach a resolution to reduce uncertainty for businesses affected by the escalating tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Canada would face a 100% tariff on all goods entering the United States if it moves forward with a trade agreement with China. He also cautioned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that such a deal would threaten Canada’s economy and social fabric.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”
In response, Carney encouraged Canadians to buy domestic products but did not directly address Trump’s threat. “With our economy under threat from abroad, Canadians have made a choice to focus on what we can control,” Carney said. “We can’t control what other nations do, we can be our own best customer.”
Carney recently traveled to China to reset ties and reached a trade agreement with Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the U.S. Initially, Trump had expressed support for the deal, saying on January 16 that “if you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for U.S. trade, clarified on social media that “there is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China” and that the recent talks focused on resolving key tariff issues. The Chinese embassy in Canada said it is ready to implement the agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders.
Trump suggested that Canada could be used by China to bypass U.S. tariffs. “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump said. He added in another post: “The last thing the world needs is to have China take over Canada. It’s NOT going to happen, or even come close to happening!”
If enacted, the 100% tariff would significantly increase costs for Canadian exports, particularly affecting industries like metals, autos, and machinery.
Relations between Trump and Carney had been relatively cordial following Carney’s election, with Trump initially praising their strong ties. However, tensions escalated after Carney criticized Trump’s pursuit of Greenland and emphasized the importance of “middle powers” cooperating to protect themselves from American dominance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In response, Trump claimed Canada “lives because of the United States,” a remark Carney rejected. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney said in Quebec.
Trump has since revoked Canada’s invitation to his Board of Peace and dismissed the North American trade deal as “irrelevant.” The Canadian Chamber of Commerce urged both governments to quickly reach a resolution to reduce uncertainty for businesses affected by the escalating tensions.