Trump threatens 100% tariffs on all Canadian goods if Canada 'makes a deal with China'
'There is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China,' says Canada-U.S. trade minister
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose a 100 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods entering the United States if Canada "makes a deal with China" — a forceful message that comes days after Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, widely viewed as pushback on U.S. actions.
Trump did not specifiy what a "deal" means in his social media post. Last week, Canada reached an agreement with China to allow 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the market at a lowered tariff rate of 6.1 per cent in exchange for China lowering tariffs on Canadian canola.
"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," the U.S. president wrote in his post.
"China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life," Trump said.
In a followup post, the president said, "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!"
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a statement posted to social media, "There is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China. What was achieved was resolution on several important tariff issues."
LeBlanc added: "As the Prime Minister said this week, Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in our economy and security — and we will remain focused on ensuring the future of that relationship will benefit workers and businesses on both sides of our border."
The U.S. president's social media posts are a departure from his initial comments after Canada struck the agreement with the Chinese government. He appeared unfazed and said last week the agreement is a "good thing."
"That's what [Carney] should be doing. It's a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that," Trump told reporters at the White House at the time.
- Cross Country Checkup is asking: What grade are you giving Mark Carney on his handling of Donald Trump? Leave your comment here and we may read it or call you back for Sunday's show
CBC News has reached out to the Prime Minister's Office for comment.
Carney has not taken media questions since returning to Canada from his trip to China, Qatar and Davos — and in a week where he twice spoke out forcefully against Trump.
The prime minister was scheduled to take reporters' questions after two days of meetings with his front benches in Quebec City — standard fare at these retreats. But moments before Carney was expected to appear, his news conference was cancelled.
An official cited the prime minister's schedule as the reason why.
Escalating U.S. actions after Carney's Davos speech
Earlier this week, Carney was lauded by global leaders for his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos — where he said "American hegemony" and "great powers" are using economic integration as "weapons."
"The old order is not coming back," he said. "We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy. But from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger and more just."
In his own speech on Wednesday, Trump said that "Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements."
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick criticized Canada for "complaining" about its treatment by the Trump administration while enjoying the "second-best" trade deal of any country in the world with the U.S.
"Give me a break, they have the second-best deal in the world and all I gotta do is listen to this guy whine and complain," Lutnick said during a media interview in Davos.
Trump later announced he was withdrawing an invitation for Carney to join his "Board of Peace" initiative for Gaza.
Ministers, premiers push back against Trump
While speaking to reporters ahead of a Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa, Justice Minister Sean Fraser pushed back against Trump calling Carney "governor."
"[Carney] is the prime minister of Canada, a G7 economy. He is doing a bang-up job. He clearly set the course forward," Fraser said.
The justice minister also said Carney's speech was not a mistake given Trump's reaction; instead, "it was the right message at the right time from the right guy."
Culture Minister Marc Miller said Trump's post is a "serious statement, but we have to control what we control."
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew — whose province benefits from Canada's agreement with China over canola tariffs — said on social media that "Canada will never be taken over. Not by China. Not by Trump. We will always be the TRUE NORTH strong and free."
B.C. Premier David Eby expressed his support for Carney, saying "you're on the right path Mark. Canada must stand on our own two feet. British Columbia has your back."
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