Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Wednesday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about potentially annexing Canada are a diversionary tactic aimed at shifting focus from the impact of his proposed tariffs.
Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports unless stricter border security measures are implemented. He also mentioned the possibility of using economic pressure to acquire Canada.
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In an interview with CNN, Trudeau described Trump as a “skillful negotiator” and suggested the comments were meant to distract from the economic repercussions of such tariffs. He warned that items like oil, gas, electricity, steel, aluminum, and lumber would become significantly more expensive for American consumers if these tariffs were enforced.
Trudeau firmly rejected the idea of Canada becoming part of the U.S., reiterating his earlier statement that there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” of such a scenario. He also emphasized that Ottawa would retaliate with countermeasures if Trump acted on his threats.
Recalling a similar trade dispute in 2018, Trudeau noted that Canada imposed tariffs on items like ketchup, playing cards, bourbon, and motorcycles, specifically targeting goods that would affect American workers. However, he expressed a desire to avoid such measures again, as they would raise prices for Canadians and harm the U.S., Canada’s closest trading partner.
