Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has responded to Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic power” to get Canada to the US by saying there is “no chance in hell” of the two joining forces.
President-elect Trump in recent weeks has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st state of the United States.
“You removed this line that was illegally drawn, and you look at what that looks like, and it would be much better for national security,” Trump said at a press conference at his Florida home in Mar-a Lago on Tuesday.
“Canada and the United States, that would be something.”
Trump reiterated his threat to impose “massive” tariffs on Canadian goods unless the country takes steps to increase security at the US’s shared border.
The continued threat of tariffs comes at a politically challenging time in Canada.
On Monday, a troubled Trudeau announced his resignation, although he will continue as prime minister until the ruling Liberals choose a new leader, which is expected in late March.
Canada’s parliament has been adjourned – or suspended – until March 24 to allow time for the leadership race.
Economists warn that if Trump follows through on the tax hike after his inauguration on January 20, it will severely damage the Canadian economy.
About C$3.6bn ($2.5bn) worth of goods and services crossed the border every day by 2023, according to Canadian government figures.
The Trudeau government has said it is considering imposing tariffs if Trump follows through on the threat.
The prime minister also said on X on Tuesday: “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being great trading and security partners.”
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump reiterated his concerns about drugs crossing the Mexican and Canadian borders into the US.
Like Canada, Mexico faces the threat of a 25% tariff.
The amount of fentanyl seized at the US-Canada border is much lower than at the southern border, according to US data.
Canada has pledged to implement a set of new border security measures, including strengthened patrols and the addition of a joint “strike force” to target international organized crime.
Trump said on Tuesday that he was not considering using the military to make Canada part of the United States, but expressed concern about his neighbor’s spending on the military.
“They have a very small military force. They rely on our soldiers. That’s fine, but, you know, they have to pay for that. It’s very unfair,” he said.
Canada has come under pressure to increase military spending as it continues to fall short of NATO membership targets.
Its defense budget currently stands at C$27bn ($19.8bn, £15.5bn), although the Trudeau government has promised to increase spending to around C$50bn by 2030.
British Columbia Premier David Eby told a press conference on Tuesday that a number of Canadian provincial premiers will soon travel to Washington DC to lobby to tackle the costs.
On Monday, Doug Ford, the leader of Canada’s most populous province of Ontario, said Trudeau must spend his remaining weeks in office working with provinces to counter Trump’s threat.
“Prime ministers are leading the country right now,” he told BBC News in an interview.
Ontario relies heavily on trade with the US. The province is at the center of Canada’s most integrated automotive industry, and trade between Ontario and the US is expected to exceed C$493bn ($350bn) by 2023.
“My message is let’s work together, build a strong trade relationship – not witchcraft,” said Ford.
The Prime Minister warned that “we will retaliate severely” if the Trump administration follows through, and highlighted the close economic ties between the two countries, including energy.
The US relies on “Ontario for their electricity. We keep the lights on in a million and a half homes and businesses in the US,” he said.
At a press conference earlier this week, Ford again pushed back on Trump’s 51 comments.
“I’ll make him a counter offer. How about we buy Alaska and throw in Minneapolis and Minnesota at the same time?” Ford said.
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