Trump threatens 100 pc tariff on Canada over new China trade agreement
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to levy a 100% tariff on all Canadian imports if the nation moves forward with a new trade agreement with China, warning that the U.S. will not allow its northern neighbor to become a gateway for Chinese goods.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that if Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”
The escalating friction follows a year of trade hostilities. Earlier this month, Canada negotiated a deal to slash tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for lower import taxes on Canadian agricultural products.
The threat marks a sharp reversal for Trump, who initially characterised Carney’s negotiations with Beijing as a positive move, remarking that the agreement was what the prime minister “should be doing and it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal.”
Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the latest threat.
The tariff ultimatum arrived amid a deepening personal and political rift between the two leaders. During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, Trump’s pursuit of acquiring Greenland strained relations with NATO allies. While in Davos, the president remarked that “Canada lives because of the United States.” Carney responded by stating that his nation serves as a global example that the world does not have to bend toward “autocratic tendencies.”
Following that exchange, Trump revoked his invitation to Carney to join the "Board of Peace," an international body the president is organising to settle global conflicts.
Trump’s recent efforts to secure Greenland follow a pattern of provocations regarding Canadian sovereignty. He has repeatedly needled America's neighbour and suggested that Canada eventually be absorbed by the United States as a 51st state.
With inputs from AP