Trump suggests Canada join the USA amid tariff controversy
Donald Trump, addressing the issue of tariffs imposed on Canada by the U.S., stated that the country "would not survive" without financial support from the United States. "Therefore, Canada should become our 51st state," he emphasised.
On Saturday, Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on the country's energy resources. A 25% rate was also imposed on Mexico and 10% on China. This decision has led to significant controversy, with the Wall Street Journal dubbing it "the dumbest trade war in history."
Trump: Canada should become the 51st state of the usa
Donald Trump has now commented on Canadians' discontent. "We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use," Trump declared in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. "Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State," he added.
He emphasised that, in such a scenario, Canada could benefit from "much better military protection, lower taxes, and no tariffs."
The U.S. President did not clarify what he meant by "subsidies." Based on his previous statements, it appears he may be referring to the trade deficit in goods between the two countries. Despite his claims that it amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars, government data indicates that U.S. imports are $55 billion more than exports to Canada.
Trump criticises the "Wall Street Journal"
In another Sunday post addressing the tariffs imposed on Saturday on Canada, Mexico, and China, the President criticised the conservative newspaper "Wall Street Journal," which, in an editorial, called Trump's move "the dumbest trade war in history." The President stated that the "globalist" newspaper leads the "tariff lobby" to justify the "decades-long exploitation of America" and the influx of drugs and crime.
Trump declared that "those days are over," and the U.S. has large trade deficits with Canada, Mexico, and China. "Produce your product in the USA, and there will be no tariffs," he added.
"WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE — AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!" he assured, writing in capital letters.
However, it should be noted that economists warn that the actions against China could have significant consequences for the U.S. "If the United States imposed an additional 10% tariff on China, and China reciprocated, the U.S. GDP would decrease by $55 billion over four years of the second Trump administration, and China by $128 billion," estimated the American Peterson Institute for International Economics in a report cited by CNBC.
The USA imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
On Saturday, Donald Trump announced in a post on X that he had officially imposed 25% tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada. The latter will also face a 10% tariff on energy resources. At the same time, the U.S. is imposing a 10% tariff on products from China. As Trump explained, he initiated these measures due to the threat of illegal immigration and the influx of drugs, including fentanyl, into the States. He argued that all three countries are failing to make efforts to curb this practice.
