Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back at Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic power” to absorb Canada into the United States, saying there was “no chance of the two countries joining together like a snowball in hell.”
President-elect Trump has repeatedly spoken in recent weeks about Canada becoming the 51st state in the United States.
“It would be much better for our national security if we got rid of these artificial lines and looked at what they looked like,” Trump said at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be incredible for Canada and the United States.”
President Trump has threatened to impose “substantial” tariffs on Canadian products unless Canada takes steps to strengthen security at its U.S. border.
The ongoing tariff threat comes at a difficult political time for Canada.
On Monday, embattled Prime Minister Trudeau announced he was resigning but will remain in office until the ruling Liberal Party chooses a new leader, expected around the end of March.
Canada’s parliament has been adjourned or suspended until March 24 to allow time for the leadership race.
Economists warn that if President Trump continues to impose tariffs after he takes office on January 20, it will deal a serious blow to the Canadian economy.
By 2023, nearly C$3.6 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of goods and services would cross the border every day, according to Canadian government statistics.
The Trudeau government has said it is considering imposing reverse tariffs if President Trump continues his threats.
The Prime Minister also said on Tuesday: “Workers and communities in both countries benefit from being each other’s largest trade and security partners.”
At a lengthy press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump reiterated the concerns he has expressed about drugs flowing into the United States across the Mexican-Canadian border.
Like Canada, Mexico also faces the threat of 25% tariffs.
U.S. data shows that the amount of fentanyl seized at the U.S.-Canada border is much lower than the amount seized at the southern border.
Canada has pledged to implement a series of sweeping new security measures along its border, including increased surveillance and the addition of a joint ‘strike force’ to target transnational organized crime.
President Trump said Tuesday he was not considering using military force to make Canada part of the United States, but he raised concerns about military spending in the neighboring country.
“They have a very small army. They depend on our army. That’s all fine. But, you know, they have to pay for it. It’s very unfair,” he said.
Canada has been under pressure to increase military spending as it continues to fall short of targets set by NATO members.
The current defense budget stands at C$27 billion ($19.8 billion, £15.5 billion), but the Trudeau government has pledged to increase spending to nearly C$50 billion by 2030.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said at a news conference Tuesday that a number of Canadian provincial premiers will soon travel to Washington, D.C., to lobby against the tariffs.
On Monday, Doug Ford, the governor of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said Trudeau must work with provinces in the remaining weeks to respond to Trump’s threats.
“Prime ministers are leading the country now,” he told the BBC.
Ontario is highly dependent on trade with the United States. The province is the center of Canada’s highly integrated automotive industry, and trade between Ontario and the United States totaled more than C$493 billion ($350 billion) in 2023.
“My message is let’s work together, let’s build a stronger trade relationship, not a weaker one,” Ford said.
The prime minister emphasized the close economic ties between the two countries, including in the energy sector, warning that “we will retaliate strongly” if the Trump administration takes a hard line.
The United States “relies on Ontario for electricity. We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes and businesses in the country,” he said.
At a press conference earlier this week, Ford also pushed back against President Trump’s 51st State of the Union address.
“I’ll give him a counteroffer: Why not buy Alaska and throw in Minneapolis and Minnesota at the same time?” Ford said.
