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Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that President-elect Trump’s proposal to make Canada the “51st state” of the United States is an attempt to distract from the threat of tariffs.
“As a successful negotiator, I know he likes to tip people off balance a little bit,” Trudeau said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.” That’s not going to happen.” “This is not just the beginning. Canadians are incredibly proud to be Canadian. But now, instead of people talking about how a 25 per cent tariff will affect them, We’re talking about that.” [has] The same goes for energy such as steel, aluminum, oil, gas, and electricity flowing into the United States. ”
“No American wants to pay 25% more for electricity or oil and gas coming in from Canada,” Trudeau said in an interview with President Biden’s former White House press secretary Psaki. “I think that’s something people need to pay a little more attention to. And maybe the idea of a 51st state is a very real issue that increases the cost of living for Americans and undermines our very well-functioning trade relationships.” You’re probably looking away a little.” Good. “
President Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada. The president-elect also said that taxes would be reduced and tariffs would be eliminated if Canada merged with the United States.
The president-elect also attacked Prime Minister Trudeau, calling him Canada’s “governor.” Prime Minister Trudeau announced last Monday that he would resign as Prime Minister of Canada once the Liberal Party elects a new leader on March 9.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his upcoming resignation to reporters in front of Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, January 6, 2025. (Associated Press/Adrian Wilde/Canadian Press)
“There’s a certain amount of flattery in this because from the first conversation I had with him in 2016, he told me how much he respects Canada, how much he appreciates and likes us. And he thinks we’re as great as we are,”’ Trudeau said of President Trump on Sunday. “He’s right. We’re great. We’re also very, very proud to be Canadian. When you talk to Canadians, define what it means to be Canadian.” They talk about all kinds of different things. But one thing we point out is, ‘And we’re not Americans.’
When Prime Minister Trudeau visited Mar-a-Lago in November, the Canadian Prime Minister said that the topic of the United States’ annexation of Canada came up, but Prime Minister Trudeau did not say that Canada could annex Vermont or California as a form of trade. When asked about the joke, Trump said, “Immediately.” I decided it wasn’t that interesting anymore and moved on to another conversation. ”
“It’s not a sudden thing for him to do something like this, but what I find noteworthy is not what he’s talking about that will never happen, but rather what might happen if he chooses to move forward.” “Tariffs are raising the cost of almost everything for Americans, and we’re going to take strong action on that,” Trudeau said.
“We are prepared to respond with tariffs if necessary,” Prime Minister Trudeau said.
Canadian officials have said that if President Trump follows through on his threat of punitive tariffs, Canada would consider imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made orange juice, toilets and some steel products.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves his hotel on his way to meet President-elect Donald Trump on November 29, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trudeau recalled that President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports during his first term, and Canada responded by imposing tariffs on items such as bourbon, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, orange juice and Trump. Prime Minister Trudeau insisted that Canadians could easily find alternatives.
“It ended up causing huge losses for U.S. companies, for which Canada is the largest export partner. All of this will ultimately come at a cost to the American people and American jobs, and that’s not what President Trump was elected to do,” Trudeau said. “I know he was elected to make life easier for all Americans and to support American workers. These things are going to hurt them.”
Justin Trudeau attends the funeral of late former President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
President Trump said last week that the United States doesn’t need oil or anything else from Canada, but nearly a quarter of the oil the United States consumes every day comes from Canada. Energy-rich western Alberta exports 4.3 million barrels of oil per day to the United States, according to the Associated Press. The United States consumes 20 million barrels a day and produces about 13.2 million barrels a day, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
Canada, a founding partner of NATO and home to more than 40 million people, is also the largest export destination for 36 U.S. states. Every day, $2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross our borders.
President Trump has said he would reconsider the threat of tariffs if Canada improves security controls at the Canada-U.S. border, which the country views as a potential entry point for illegal immigrants.
Prime Minister Trudeau said less than 1% of illegal immigrants and fentanyl enter the United States from Canada.
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Nevertheless, after meeting with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Prime Minister Trudeau announced increased spending on border security, addressing President Trump’s concerns in hopes that President Trump would reconsider his tariff threat. expressed a desire to address the issue.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Daniel Wallace is a breaking news and political reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and X: @danimwallace.
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