Donald Trump has angrily fired back at Justin Trudeau’s tariffs by claiming Canada will “cease to exist as a viable country” without US subsidy.
Trump has sparked a bitter trade war as Mexico and Canada, who have hit back with retaliatory tariffs after the US president slapped both countries with huge levies.
After Trudeau vowed he would never back down, Trump responded on Sunday morning by saying Canada should become “our cherished 51st state”.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said: “We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason.
“We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own cars, and have more lumber than we can ever use.”
“Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true!”
He added: “Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!”
Within hours of the White House’s tariffs announcement on Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum imposed matching charges on imported US goods.
Trudeau announced “far-reaching” 25 per cent tariffs on American products, affecting £86 billion in value, including beer and wine, household appliances, and sporting goods.
The Prime Minister said he would “not back down in standing up for Canadians”, but warned of real consequences for people on both sides of the border.
“We don’t want to be here, we didn’t ask for this,” he said. “The actions taken by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
He also encouraged Canadians to “choose Canadian products and services rather than American ones”.
Trudeau said the tariffs would be timed to begin when America imposed theirs on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Sheinbaum said she had ordered her economic minister to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to defend Mexico’s interests.
“We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organisations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” she said.
“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population.”
On Saturday, the US president imposed a 25 per cent levy on imports from Canada and Mexico, alongside an additional 10 per cent tax on Chinese goods.
Canadian energy products face a lower 10 per cent tariff.
The White House claims the measures are a response to illegal immigration and drug trafficking, two key issues Trump campaigned on.
Source : https://www.the-express.com/news/politics/162364/donald-trump-trudeau-canada-tariffs