VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has voiced concerns over President-elect Donald Trump’s recent remarks about the possibility of Canada becoming America’s “51st state,” stating that it has diverted attention away from the potential negative impact of imposing steep tariffs on U.S. consumers. Trump has threatened to levy 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada.
Trudeau addressed the issue in an interview with MSNBC, asserting, “The 51st state, that’s not going to happen. But people are talking about that, as opposed to talking about what impact 25% tariffs [have] on steel and aluminum coming into the United States.” Expressing worry over the financial burden such tariffs could place on American consumers, Trudeau emphasized, “No American wants to pay 25% more for electricity or oil and gas coming in from Canada. That’s something I think people need to pay a little more attention to.”
In response to Trump’s suggestion that merging with the U.S. would result in lower taxes and the elimination of tariffs, Trudeau remarked, “I know that as a successful negotiator he likes to keep people off balance.” Trudeau also criticized Trump’s portrayal of the U.S. trade deficit with Canada as a subsidy, describing it as erroneous.
Canadian officials have indicated that if Trump follows through on his threat of imposing tariffs, Canada may retaliate by imposing tariffs on American goods such as orange juice, toilets, and select steel products. This would not be the first instance of such actions, as during Trump’s first term, Canada responded to U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum by imposing tariffs on American products like bourbon, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and playing cards.
Trudeau highlighted the potential negative impact of tariffs on American workers, remarking, “He got elected to try and make life easier for all Americans, to support American workers. These [tariffs] are things that are going to hurt them.” Contrary to Trump’s assertion that the U.S. does not need oil from Canada, nearly a quarter of the oil consumed daily in the U.S. is imported from Canada, with the province of Alberta alone exporting 4.3 million barrels of oil to the U.S. each day.
Data from the United States Energy Information Administration indicates that the U.S. consumes 20 million barrels of oil per day and produces roughly 13.2 million barrels daily. Canada, as a founding member of NATO and home to over 40 million people, serves as the top export destination for 36 U.S. states, with nearly $2.7 billion worth of goods and services crossing the border daily.
Trump has suggested that he might reconsider his tariff threat if Canada enhances security measures at the Canada-U.S. border, which he perceives as a potential entry point for undocumented migrants. Trudeau has refuted this claim, stating that less than 1% of illegal immigrants and fentanyl enter the U.S. from Canada. In
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