In response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s warning to use “economic force” to incorporate Canada into the US, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that there is no chance of a country merging.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Mr Trudeau wrote on X (formally Twitter).
“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” he added.
Canadian foreign minister also added to Prime Minister Trudeau’s remark, saying the country will “never back down” from threats by Donald Trump.
Trump’s comments, according to Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, demonstrated “a complete lack of understanding” of Canada. “We have a robust economy. We are a strong people. On the social networking site run by Trump ally Elon Musk, she declared, “We will never back down in the face of threats.” Hours after the Canadian premier announced his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, incoming US President Trump declared he was prepared to use “economic force” to unite Canada and the US. This prompted Canada’s response.
Speaking at a press conference at Florida Mar-a Lago home, he said, “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security.”
“Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” Mr Trump added.
He also raised concerns about Canada’s military spending and said, “They have a very small military. They rely on our military. It’s all fine, but, you know, they got to pay for that. It’s very unfair.”
Asked if he would use military force to bring Canada to heel, the incoming president said “no, economic force.”
Mr. Trump has made fun of Canada for becoming the “51st US state” on several occasions since he won the election in November. In the past, he has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods unless the northern American nation made significant efforts to improve border security and lower the number of illegal immigrants and drugs entering the US. The Trudeau administration has responded by vowing to enact stringent border security measures between the United States and Canada, but it has also stated that it may impose counter-tariffs if Mr. Trump carries out his threats.
According to reports, trade between the US and Canada is worth trillions of dollars. Nearly C$3.6 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of goods and services crossed the border every day in 2023, according to figures from the Canadian government. According to experts, Canada’s economy could suffer greatly if Donald Trump fulfills his threat after assuming office on January 20.
