Trudeau says there is “no snowball’s chance in hell” of Canada joining US

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the United States, saying there is “not the slightest chance of a snowball joining the two.” “.

On Tuesday, President-elect Trump reiterated his threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods unless the country takes steps to increase security on its shared border with the United States.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly criticized Canada for becoming the 51st state in the United States.

“If we get rid of that artificially drawn line and see what it looks like, it would be a lot better for national security, too,” Trump said.

“Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” he said at a news conference at his Mar-a Lago residence in Florida.

The current tariff threat comes at a politically challenging time for Canada.

On Monday, an embattled Trudeau announced he was resigning, although he will remain prime minister until the ruling Liberals elect a new leader, expected in late March.

Canada’s parliament has been prorogued – or suspended – until March 24 to allow time for the leadership race.

Economists warn that if Trump goes ahead with imposing tariffs after his inauguration on January 20, it would significantly hurt Canada’s economy.

Nearly C$3.6 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of goods and services crossed the border daily in 2023, according to Canadian government figures.

Trudeau’s government has said it is considering imposing countertariffs if Trump follows through on the threat.

The Prime Minister also said in X that: “Workers and communities in our two countries benefit from being each other’s largest trade and security partner.”

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated concerns he had expressed about drugs crossing borders from Mexico and Canada into the United States.

Like Canada, Mexico faces a 25% tariff threat.

According to US data, the amount of fentanyl seized at the US-Canada border is significantly less than at the southern border.

Canada has promised to implement a series of sweeping new security measures along the border, including enhanced surveillance and the addition of a joint “strike force” to combat transnational organized crime.

Trump said Tuesday that he was not considering using military force to make Canada part of the United States, but expressed concern about his neighbor’s military spending.

“They have a very small army. They depend on our army. Everything is fine, but they have to pay for it. It is very unfair,” he said.

Canada has been under pressure to increase its military spending as it continues to fall short of the target set for NATO members.

Its defense budget currently stands at C$27bn ($19.8bn, £15.5bn), although the Trudeau government has promised to increase spending to almost C$50bn by 2030.

On Monday, Doug Ford, leader of Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, said Trudeau should spend his remaining weeks in office working with provinces to address Trump’s threat.

“The prime ministers are leading the country right now,” he said.

Ontario is deeply dependent on trade with the United States. The province is at the heart 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 that we work together, build a stronger business relationship, not weaken it,” he said.

The prime minister warned that “we will retaliate harshly” if the Trump administration moves forward and highlighted the close economic ties between the two nations, including in energy.

The United States depends “on Ontario for electricity. We keep the lights on in one and a half million homes and businesses in the United States,” he said.

At a press conference earlier this week, Ford also rejected Trump’s 51st state comments.

“I’ll make you a counteroffer. How about we buy Alaska and add Minneapolis and Minnesota at the same time?” Ford said.