By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Canada, warning that goods imported from America’s northern neighbor could face a 100% tariff if Ottawa moves forward with a trade agreement with China.
In a social media post, Trump accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of attempting to turn Canada into a conduit for Chinese exports into the U.S. market. “If 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,” Trump wrote.
The warning comes as Trump continues a trade war that has defined much of the past year. Earlier this month, Canada finalized an agreement with China that would lower Canadian tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for reduced Chinese import taxes on Canadian agricultural products. The deal was aimed at easing trade pressure on Canadian farmers while maintaining access to key global markets.
Trump initially appeared to support the agreement, saying it was something Carney “should be doing” and calling it “a good thing for him to sign a trade deal.” His tone shifted sharply on Saturday, however, as he framed the agreement as a threat to U.S. economic and national security interests.
Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The tariff threat is the latest escalation in a growing war of words between Trump and Carney, unfolding as Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has strained relations within NATO. While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, Trump claimed that “Canada lives because of the United States,” a remark that drew a sharp response from Carney. The Canadian prime minister countered that his country could serve as proof that nations do not need to “bend toward autocratic tendencies” to succeed.
Tensions escalated further after Trump reportedly revoked an invitation for Carney to join a proposed “Board of Peace,” a group Trump says he is forming to help resolve global conflicts.
Trump’s rhetoric toward Canada has increasingly included provocative comments about sovereignty. Alongside his push to acquire Greenland, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should be absorbed into the United States as a 51st state. This week, he amplified that message by posting an altered image on social media depicting a map of the United States that included Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as U.S. territory.
In Saturday’s post, Trump referred to the Canadian leader as “Governor Carney,” a nickname he previously used for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The continued use of the term underscores the deterioration of Trump’s relationship with Canada’s leadership.
Despite ongoing talks, Carney has not yet secured an agreement with Trump to roll back tariffs imposed on major sectors of the Canadian economy, including manufacturing and natural resources. Canada has so far been shielded from the most severe effects of Trump’s tariff regime under the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement, which limits the scope of punitive trade measures among the three countries.
That agreement, however, is scheduled for review later this year, raising uncertainty about the future of North American trade as political tensions continue to mount.