OTTAWA, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday dismissed a suggestion by US President-elect Donald Trump that he might use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st US state, while his foreign minister added the country will “never back down” from threats by Donald Trump.
The comments from Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly followed Trump’s statement at a news conference about using “economic force” in pursuit of his unlikely plan for Canada to merge with the United States.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau said in a post on X.
“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”
Trump, speaking in Mar-a-Lago, was asked if he was considering using military force to acquire Canada.
“No, economic force,” he responded. “Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”
Trump, who has long complained about Canada’s trade surplus with the US, had earlier told reporters the border was an “artificially drawn line.”
Trump said on Tuesday he was not considering using military force to make Canada part of the United States, but raised concerns about its neighbour’s military spending.
Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, which sends 75 percent of all goods and services exports south of the border.
Earlier on Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Trump’s comments “show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country.”
“Our economy is strong. Our people our strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” she said on the social media platform X.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Trump also threatened military action to secure the Panama Canal, and Greenland.
The ongoing tariff threat comes at a politically challenging time for Canada. Officials in Canada are preparing to retaliate in what risks becoming a trade war.
On Monday, Trudeau announced that he would step down in the coming months, bowing to pressure from lawmakers alarmed by his Liberal Party’s unpopularity. The next election must be held by October 20 and polls predict a crushing win for the official opposition Conservatives.
Canada’s parliament has been prorogued – or suspended – until 24 March to allow time for the leadership race.
Economists warn that if Trump follows through on imposing the tariffs after he is inaugurated on 20 January, it would significantly hurt Canada’s economy.
