Gian Ehrenzeller / EPA
Donald Trump’s speech at the Peace Council in Davos
Donald Trump’s threat comes after Canada reached an agreement with China last week on trade in agricultural products and electric vehicles — and after the Canadian prime minister’s landmark speech in Davos.
The President of the USA, Donald Trumpthreatened this Saturday to impose 100% tariffs on all exports from Canada to the United States, if the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney proceed as announced trade agreement with China.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that Carney is “deeply deceived“It is thought that Canada could become a ‘delivery port’ for China to ship goods and products to the United States.”
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% tariff on all goods and Canadian products entering the US”, wrote Trump in the publication, where he refers to Carney as “governor” instead of prime minister.
“The last thing the world needs is for China to dominate Canada. This will NOT happen, not even close to happening! Thank you for your attention to this matter”, the American president in another post.
In one, Trump had stated that “Canada opposes the construction of Golden Dome over Greenland, even though she protected her country. Instead, they voted in favor of making business with China, which ‘will devour them’ in less than a year!”
A few hours later, Dominic LeBlanc, Canadian minister responsible for trade between Canada and the United States, declared, in an X, that “there is no negotiation of a free trade agreement with China.”
Instead, LeBlanc describes last week’s agreement between Ottawa and Beijing as a resolution on several important tariff issues. “The government of Canada is building a stronger Canadian economywith a plan that is strengthening our strength internally and strengthening our commercial partnerships around the world,” said LeBlanc.
Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs comes at a time when tensions between Canada and the United States are rising got even worse this weekafter the one at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which was seen as a criticism of Trump administration policies.
“We are in the middle of a rupture, not a transition“, Carney said in the speech, in which appeals to “intermediate powers” around the world to deepen cooperation in the face of coercion and threats.
The Prime Minister’s Remarks provoked Trump’s wrathwho responded by saying that Canada lives thanks to the United States. “Remember this, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Donald Trump said in Davos.
Trump has been threaten to impose high taxess on Canadian products, even before he formally took office in January 2025, and has repeatedly stated that wants Canada to become the “51st state” of the USA — which may explain its lapse in post in which he called Carney “governor”.
These threats have sunk relations between the North American neighbors to historic lows and led Carney, in recent months, to seek new economic partnerships, including with China, the European Union and Qatar.
Last week, the Canadian government announced a “new strategic partnership” with China following a trip by Carney to Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders.
The agreement provides that Beijing reduce tariffs on agricultural products from Canada in exchange for Ottawa’s authorization to enter up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles on the marketthe Canadian.
“The relationship between Canada and China created enormous opportunities for both our people,” Carney said in a statement after the announcement.
